


Super Mario Legacy

by Agent66



Category: Mario & Luigi RPG (Video Games)
Genre: Action/Adventure, F/M, Gen, Mystery, Suspense
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-19
Updated: 2016-07-29
Packaged: 2018-06-09 07:59:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 100,294
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6896713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Agent66/pseuds/Agent66
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A new villain descends on the Mushroom Kingdom, bringing both past and future together in a quest for domination. With his arrival, the Mario Brothers are faced with a past they never knew and future that's now uncertain.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> A little background here - I started this work nearly 5 years ago, so my initial premise has changed slightly, but hopefully not too much. The idea came when I found this walkthrough of Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time; somehow this led me to discover the Yoshi series that features Baby Mario and Luigi. And that lead me to a thought - how the heck do Baby Mario and Luigi exist in a world with their older counterparts?
> 
> Were Mario and Luigi born in the Mushroom Kingdom? If so, how are they not aware of this?
> 
> This story will cover the Mario & Luigi series games of Partners in Time and Bowser's Inside Story, the Yoshi series that feature baby versions of our cast, and obviously, the classic 80's & 90's cartoons.

# PROLOGUE

 

 

_There are many types of legacies that are passed down from family to family, legends told of ancestors that have done great deeds or have controlled armies. There are other legends, ones that tell of extraordinary powers that come to beings, sometimes without them ever knowing._

_There was a legend in the mythical universe of the Grand Finale Galaxy that spoke of the star spirits, those stars that lived above the kingdom within Star Haven, who granted wishes to those of worth. It is said that the spirits sent down seven stars from their heaven towards the world, each with an extraordinary amount of power; these spirits had felt the power that was within these stars and felt that having them all in one place could spell danger._

_This was around the time that the dark star, a malevolent star, also came into existence. The dark star could easily feel the power that radiated from these special stars and it was the intent that the dark star would use the power of these stars to rule the galaxies and plunge them into darkness._

_To be safe, the star spirits confronted the dark star and sealed it away, but not before casting out these powerful stars. These seven stars soon found hosts, seven babies that had been born in the world, whose innocence would help to hide their true power. However, a magikoopa - that is a koopa with magical abilities - learned about this legend in the distant future and told his lord and master. Together, they went back in time in order to steal these stars from the babies, but luckily they were thwarted by the creatures known as Yoshis along with help from the babies themselves._

_Their evil plans felled, these star children were left to grow into adults, however it was this kidnapping attempt that changed the lives of two of these star children, prompting a new story to be told in the prophecies. And the legend of the star spirits, the dark star, and the star children thus went into obscurity._

_Until a new threat revealed itself and long held truths were suddenly questioned..._


	2. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A peaceful day in the Mushroom Kingdom is disturbed by unanswered questions and an unexpected visitor.

#  **Chapter I:**

 

 

The day was a bright one in a place called the Mushroom Kingdom. Here, the skies were always blue, clouds were always smiling, and the weather was always nice. The Mushroom Kingdom had stood for centuries in what was known as the Mushroom world or universe; this universe was comprised of an entire galaxy of moons, stars, and yes, other worlds.

The world was sectioned off into kingdoms, each being ruled by a select leader, as were the rules of royalty and monarchs. In most cases, the throne was always kept in the family; that is, rulers passed down their leadership to that of their children, then their children, and so on and so on. As such, many of these kingdoms were known to each other and in most parts, there was a friendliness with these places.

Not always, of course. As every story goes, there is always an evil being that desires to control the universe for their own means. In the Mushroom Kingdom, there were several evil beings, but the king of them all was King Bowser. Bowser was a creature that had been crossed with a lizard and a dragon and was known as a koopa; he was large in size, with massive paws and feet upon which claws were attached. These were used to dispatch those who opposed him and he enjoyed disposing of people.

As with the other kingdoms, King Bowser was the son of the previous king of Darkland, the kingdom in which the koopas resided. The previous king, much like his father before him, wanted control of the lands of light and often sought to bring havoc to those lands.

Despite currently being a peaceful world, the Mushroom Kingdom has been the victors and losers in many a war with their neighbors, especially those in Darkland.

It was never stated just how the koopas had staked claim on the darkened and volcano filled landscape that was known as Darkland; as history became legend and then myth, the truth of the exiled creatures was never really said in polite company. To this very day, there is still an aversion for any kingdom or its people to visit Darkland and the name Bowser easily struck fear in the hearts of those who dare speak it.

The Mushroom Kingdom was a frequent target of Bowser’s, namely because of the current ruler. The Toadstools had been the reigning monarchy within the kingdom for centuries, when Tobias Toadstool first took the crown as the kingdom’s first leader. From then on, the crown went through his family line until it reached the current family, that of King Phineas Toadstool and his daughter, Princess Peach. King Phineas was a revered ruler within the kingdom, known for his firm hand in politics, but also his ability to be diplomatic in situations that were called for.

He and the Queen, her majesty Dalia Whippet Toadstool, had been fair rulers to their residents, passing on similar morals and guidance to their only child. The Mushroom Kingdom was a mixture of people, though the majority that lived there were of a species known as Toads, small statured beings that wore giant mushroom caps upon their heads.

In fact, the Toadstool line was a mix breed of both Toads and humans, when Tobias – who was a Toad himself – defied convention and married Nalia, a rare human that lived in the kingdom.

While humans did live in the Mushroom World, sadly the previous wars with neighboring lands had nearly killed off the small population. If not for the Toadstool line and several other leading families who ruled the other kingdoms, there would be no humans to speak of; even so, humans who lived in the Mushroom World were a very rare breed. But these humans got along naturally with their Toad subjects, employing many of them as part of the royal court.

The Toadstools and Toads of the kingdom were very close and very much loved. When her majesty the queen was taken with a sudden illness that would eventually cause her death, the entire kingdom mourned for months afterwards. King Phineas was obviously heartbroken with the loss of his sweetheart and was then left to care for their small daughter. As the girl grew older, Phineas felt that the only way Peach would ever know the pressures and responsibilities in running a kingdom would be to let her do so.

So while Phineas traveled to other lands, seeking diplomacy and allies, Princess Peach Toadstool was the recognized ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom.

This role in itself was fraught with danger. Besides the normal concerns of being harmed by those who would want to take over, King Bowser of Darkland had made it his personal mission to not only take over the Mushroom Kingdom and that of any others who opposed him, but to make the princess his wife. Years and years of planning finally found the perfect opportunity, only to be thwarted by a small man with a moustache.

That man in question was an outsider by the name of Mario, Mario Andolesi to be exact. Mario and his twin brother Luigi were actually natives of the real world, a world that was actually parallel to that of the Mushroom Kingdom. The brothers had found themselves in a remarkable adventure that all started with a routine phone call from a client. In their home of Brooklyn, New York, the brothers had taken over the plumbing business that had been started by their grandfather shortly after the loss of their father.

Originally known as Andolesi Plumbing, the two decided to change the name – sadly, a coin toss and bragging rights as the oldest had turned Andolesi Plumbing into Mario Bros Plumbing.

On what should have been a routine call, the two brothers had gone to an elderly woman’s apartment to unclog a drain. In something that should have taken place in a cartoon or video game, Luigi began to get sucked into the drain by some unknown, unseen, and incredibly strong force.

Before they knew it, the brothers had been transported to a world of color; of green grass, blue skies, and large green pipes that stuck out of the ground. From here, the boys had gotten caught up in the rescue efforts to retrieve the kidnapped princess from Bowser’s clutches and the rest, as they say, is history. That had been years ago (who’s to say how many) and in that time both Mario and Luigi had gone on their share of adventures together and apart.

Mario was the one that most people turned to however; even as a child, the older twin had always been gregarious and friendly, his kind heart propelling him to right wrongs that he saw being done and to helping people in need. These traits often meant he leaped before he looked, which usually landed him in more trouble that he had bargained for. That was one of the reasons he hadn’t stopped to wonder about the strange way they had left their home and arrived in this strange, magical place of koopas, Goombas, and piranha plants.

He had heard someone was in trouble and that was all he needed.

Normally his various adventures had never put him into the kind of reflective state he found himself in now. Standing in the shadows of an overhang, Mario could easily hear the sounds of childish laughter, as well as the low chuckles that came from his younger brother. As most days, he and his twin found themselves within the grounds of Princess Toadstool’s castle, specifically out in the back gardens.

The gardens were a relaxing place that they would often congregate in, with the lush grass and shallow ponds that circled around both the garden and the castle itself. It was such a scenic place that Peach had added it as one of the courses in their annual kart racing tournaments, however on  most days the dangers that participants encountered – such as the roaming chain chomps and moles – were not seen, turning the gardens back into their proper place of reverence and relaxation.

Today Mario was not relaxed; in fact, he had been battling a weird funk that had overcome him since he and his brother had gone back in time to stop an alien invasion. As if an alien invasion taking place in the past that could directly destroy their futures wasn’t weird enough, the fact that he and his brother had come face to face with younger versions of people they knew was odd.

The oddest facet however came when he and Luigi had to team up with their toddler selves and that’s when things started to go a bit…weird. When you get sucked down the drain and into another universe entirely, you pretty much expect things to be strange. Certainly, meeting beings with mushroom caps on their heads, battling lizard/dragon things, riding on dino/dragon things, as well as being able to do things that weren’t possible before should be enough to signal something very odd happening within your life.

Up to that point, Mario – true to his personality – hadn’t so much as blinked an eye. He did, however, begin to question certain truths upon meeting his younger self. Too many strange occurrences had suddenly made themselves known that put both brothers in a state of confusion.

Ironically enough, the whole reason that he himself had invited the babies to join them in upcoming events was because he had hoped to clear up some of his wonderings.

This day, Mario had the Toad retainer Toadsworth send a message to the babies’ parents – _his parents!_ – asking if the boys could come by and play; as always, the adults said it was fine and Baby Mario and Baby Luigi soon found themselves in the gardens, running, laughing, and playing with the adult Luigi and the Sarasaland princess, Daisy.

There was something so completely wrong with the whole scenario that Mario hadn’t bothered to greet the boys when they came through the doors, both knowing instinctively where to go in order to find Luigi and Daisy in the gardens. From the time the twin boys went running out the back doors to the gardens themselves, Mario had been standing in the shadows, stewing and in a huff as he listened to their play.

This was how Princess Peach found him once she had been allowed to shift some of her priorities off on Toadsworth. The stuffy English Toad had been her babysitter when she was a baby and had grown to be a trusted advisor and confidant; his nephew Toad had been training under him and had gone on some of his own adventures with the Mario Bros and the Princess before his uncle had returned from various trips with the King. While Peach loved him dearly, sometimes Toadsworth was a bit much in the terms of knowing when to let things go for the sake of fun.

Truth be known, Peach had been worried about Mario ever since they had seen their baby counterparts head back into the past after their fight with the alien species known as the Shroobs. He seemed to be bothered whenever the babies were invited back, despite he himself sending the invites, and today’s behavior actually sent warning bells in her mind.

The Mario she knew was not the one who seemed to be in such a foul mood lately; her Mario was her knight in shining armor, the very definition of the kind hearted and brave prince that she had heard of in fairy tales. He may not have looked the part – he was at least a head shorter than she was, heavyset, usually dressed in a pair of dark blue overalls, a long sleeved red shirt, and matching cap that carried his first initial, and sometimes had an obsession with food – but for everything that he wasn’t in a prince, he made up for it by his bravery, courage, and heart.

They were just some of the many reasons she had fallen head over heels for him.

“It’s such a lovely day today.”

His normal response was replaced with a huff. “I think it’s a lovely day to go for a walk in the gardens,” she continued, taking a few steps towards the light where it shined on the ground. “I would hate to go alone.”

She turned to look at him as he continued to stand within the dark of the overhang, arms crossed and a frown on his face. If she hadn’t been worried about him, she would have thought the look adorable; it was the same one Baby Mario had used when Toadsworth hadn’t allowed him a cookie earlier.

Sure enough, the anger that the stout man held seem to dissipate when he saw the princess, standing in partial shadow and with one of her gloved hands hovering towards him. He could never, ever be mad at this woman, even if he tried. Sighing deeply, Mario dropped his stance before walking towards the princess and taking her hand.

The walk was a familiar one, something the two of them did on a regular basis. Much of their courtship had occurred within the gardens of the castle – they had declared their feelings for one another here and shared their first kiss. Mario planned to ask for her hand in marriage here, once he had enough money to buy a ring that he felt she deserved.

The pair tried to keep their relationship low key, what with their popularity in the kingdom ceasing any type of privacy, however the citizens of the kingdom – and pretty much everyone in the universe – knew the two had feelings for each other and weren’t surprised when word got out that they were seeing each other exclusively.

“Is something wrong?” she asked, after several moments of silence.

The former plumber hesitated before answering. “What makes you think anything’s wrong?”

“A quiet Mario can be a dangerous Mario,” was her quip, eliciting a smirk from him.

Their walk continued until they reached a secluded section of the garden that had high hedges along the dirt path. In the center was a number of flower beds, all consisting of a different flower, of a different color. This was their spot, a place where one could easily see the castle and the sky, but it would be hard for anyone to find them; this was a spot the two came to often to be alone and away from the proper and old-fashioned eyes of Toadsworth.

Finding a bench, both sat, letting the comfortable silence settle over them. From here, the rambunctious sounds made by the babies and their playmates was a distant hum, replaced by the chattering of birds and the swaying of the wind. Mario looked around the area, his mind humming away at questions he didn’t have the answers for. The soft touch of a gloved hand upon his cheek caused him to turned to the woman he loved; if anyone could understand, it was her.

“Sono confuso,” he whispered in Italian. Both he and his twin had grown up around the language, being taught by their grandparents who were immigrants from their homeland of Italy. Even though they now considered the Mushroom Kingdom their home, there were times that both brothers could easily slip into the language of their famiglia. It was also something that both were continuing here in the terms of teaching words and sayings to their girlfriends.

“Perchè?” she asked.

Letting out another sigh, the plumber shook his head once. “Is it the babies?” she continued. “You haven’t exactly been very happy when they’re around.”

“That isn’t it,” he mumbled. “They just…” He couldn’t begin to truly explain the thoughts, questions, and images that he had running through his mind lately. Letting out a frustrated growl, he muttered, “Tanto va la gatta al lardo che ci lascia lo zampio.”

“What?”

“Curiosity killed the cat,” he said, looking at her. “Or as my grandmama put it, ‘curiosity will get you in trouble’. That was usually addressed to me, of course.”

“Of course,” she smiled. Having a baby version of her love gave her plenty of opportunities to see traits of the man who sat beside her. “I take it you’re interested in something.”

“More like I have more questions than answers,” was his reply.

“About?”

“Why they know so much…” Mario stated. “When Luigi and I went back to the past, the babies were already there, with baby you and young Toadsworth. Oh and baby bratenstein. What doesn’t make sense is _why_ they were there; Luigi and I have _never_ been to the Mushroom Kingdom until we got stuck in that pipe and now I see a past where…where…”

“Where something is obviously not right?” she filled in.

“You know I was talking to Yoshi once,” he continued, his agitation clear. “And he was telling me this story about how babies were falling out of the sky and…and that he had to rescue Luigi three times – three times! – because he found me and I led the Yoshis to him.”

“Wait,” interrupted Peach. “Yoshi said that he helped you find Luigi? As babies?”

“Yeah!” the plumber said. “And he said that he and the other Yoshis had to keep you and DK and Wario and us away from an adult Bowser.”

“I don’t remember that.”

“Either do I,” Mario grumbled. “Nor do I remember any of the other times I apparently helped them get my brother back. Peach, the babies know this castle like the back of their hands. You’ve seen them; and Toadsworth doesn’t seem to have issue with having them here.” The brown haired man huffed as he leaned back against a hedge.

“I don’t mind having the babies here, I don’t,” he whispered. “But they come with questions that I don’t have the answers to and it…it brings up things that don’t make any sense.”

“Is that what’s been bothering you?” she asked, gently, before placing a comforting hand on his arm.

“I guess, I don’t know.”

“Maybe we can find some answers.”

“How?”

“Remember Professor Gadd?” she asked. “He’s the one who built the time machine I used to go back. Maybe he has some idea of what’s going on. Perhaps this is all my fault and I tampered with the space and time…thing.”

Mario smiled at her, shaking his head in mirth. “It wasn’t your fault.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Yes, I do,” he said, moving closer to her. “Because if it was, you would have done everything in your power to go back and fix things. And even if it was your fault, I couldn’t blame you even if I tried.”

“You’re trying to make me feel better,” she pouted.

“Actually, I wanted a kiss, but if I’ve made you feel better…”

Peach smacked him lightly on the arm, causing him to laugh at the response. Rolling her eyes in merriment, the princess did lean over to place a small kiss on the Italian man’s lips. “Grazie,” he whispered. “You always know what to do.”

“I think wanting to see you smile is nothing compared with what you do for me on a daily basis.”

Leaning in, he whispered, “It’s enough,” before capturing her lips with his.

 

* * *

 

It wasn’t a fair chase by any means, but it was a fun one.

A rather tall and lanky man had led two small toddlers around the hedges and flower beds of the castle, playing a slightly unfair version of hide and seek. An auburn haired woman watched the whole thing from her front row seat on one of the benches that were placed throughout the gardens. This was just one of the reasons that Daisy Chai enjoyed visiting and living in the Mushroom Kingdom.

Her official title was the Princess to Sarasaland, the large desert kingdom where she was originally from, however she had always been the adventurous type, always looking to explore new places and new things. Because Sarasaland was just south of the Mushroom Kingdom, they were neighbors that usually got on very well. Her father, King Citron, was friends with Peach’s father and had been a friend to her mother as well.

Though she had always wanted to visit, Daisy hadn’t gotten the chance to actually see the Mushroom Kingdom until Peach invited her to the first tennis tournament. She had already known and had been saved by Mario a few short years previously and the flower princess would have been happy to restart the crush she had on him if she hadn’t been introduced to his brother.

There was something about Luigi Andolesi that had attracted her almost immediately. Maybe it was his modesty or maybe his shyness, but even before they started playing, Daisy found the younger sibling attractive and handsome, more so than his brother. Luigi was actually a great guy, especially once you got to know him. Routinely thought of as just ‘Mario’s brother’ or the ‘guy in green’, the princess found out for herself just who this guy was.

First, he held a competitive streak that rivaled her own. He presented a challenge to her in not only tennis, but other sports like soccer and baseball; Daisy was not someone you would call a ‘typical princess’ in theory. She was the complete opposite of Peach and every other princess in the land – where they all wore fancy dresses and put together balls, Daisy was most likely climbing something or playing something or beating something.

Of course, as a princess and future ruler of her lands, her father expected her to find a suitable prince in which to create heirs and all that jazz. Not that her father truly expected her to even find a prince, with her rambunctious and tomboyish ways; at this point, he just wanted her to be happy. But the princes in the lands around them were all stuffy and full of themselves; they all wanted the trophy wife and Daisy was no one’s trophy.

Perhaps that’s why Luigi appealed to her so much; the younger brother was never much for the spotlight, so he was always shy or very modest when it came to accepting his role in rescues and the like. However, he could also be a ham and like any younger sibling, Luigi enjoyed entertaining those around him, but only those he could really be himself with. He had a wicked sense of humor that matched with hers and their flirting had gone from subtle to blatant in the time since they began seeing each other.

It wasn’t just the greenery of the Mushroom Kingdom that made Daisy purchase a reasonable house not too far away from the ever present castle. Today Peach had wanted her to come over with the prospect of not only seeing Luigi, but babies Weegie and Mario.

She had only gotten a portion of the story that involved the group going back in time and meeting their younger selves, but it was such that Peach thought inviting the babies back could be fun for both adult twins. Daisy thought she knew Peach pretty well and the look in the blonde monarch’s eyes whenever she saw both adult and baby Mario together obviously signaled her reasoning for the invites. Daisy couldn’t blame her though; she absolutely adored Weegie – both the big and small versions.

Very much like his older counterpart, Baby Weegie was incredibly shy with people he didn’t know and certainly not if Luigi didn’t know or like them first. It took a few races before the little guy felt it okay to race with his brother (though Daisy had a pretty good idea that neither adult brother wanted the two to race by themselves), but once the two of them got together, the races easily took on a whole new level. She would never forget the day those two came roaring past in the Goo Goo Buggy, being pulled by a giant chain chomp that the two had affectionately named, “Chompie”.

Nor would she forget the looks of shock on Mario and Luigi’s face when the babies begged to let them keep it.

Daisy had been a little worried when she had seen Mario earlier; so used to the outgoing shorter man, his standoffish attitude was a cause for alarm, but ultimately she figured if anyone could dislodge whatever stick was up his butt, it would be Peach. From there, she sat and watched as both toddlers proceeded to chase Luigi all around the garden until he finally fell to the grass in ‘defeat’.

“Agh!” the man cried. “You’ve caught me! I’ve been defeated!” He lay on the grass, with one twin baby to his left and the other sitting on his stomach, both happy at their apparent victory.

“Woo hoo!” cried the baby in red. “Baby Mario win!”

“Yeah!” called the baby that rested on the man’s stomach. “Baby Weegie numbah one!”

The boy’s victory was tempered however when throwing his arms up in the air seemed to unbalance him, causing him to topple over. Luckily Luigi’s arm caught the baby before he could hit the ground in a heap.

Straightening, little Luigi smiled at his older counterpart before grabbing one of the man’s bent legs and hugging it. “Thank you very much!”

The elder Luigi continued to lie in the grass, enjoying the relaxing atmosphere that he had missed over the last few months. It was still weird to think that he was lying in the grass next to the younger versions of himself and that of his brother. Having gone back in time, not only being rescued, but even aided in their weekly quest to save the adult Princess Peach by their baby selves had been a …very weird and unique experience.

He wondered if it was because he was looking at his younger self as an adult; perhaps he was looking to see if he had changed a lot from then to now. He had to admit that the babies had surprised both him and his brother with their gung ho attitude and bravery in helping them save not only the princess but that of the Mushroom Kingdom.

Luigi had been shocked at the way his younger self had seemed so very courageous in the face of giant man eating Yoshis, invading aliens, and uppity baby tyrants when he himself felt as though their lives as they knew it were over. The older version began to wonder if he had changed so much from the time he was a child to that of his life now; looking at the toddler version of his brother, he still saw the same assertiveness and leap before looking personality that his older twin still held.

Of course, as Baby Mario continued to babble away at nothing and everything all at once, Luigi was amused to note that his brother seemed to have been rather talkative at one time, something he must have grown out of.

As with any adult trying to understand the speech of any eighteen month old child, the adults often had a hard time at understanding what the babies needed and wanted, though luckily there seemed to be a connection between the adult twins and that of their younger counterparts; neither of them had issues with understanding the babies. Instinctively, the man in green knew that the baby in red had wanted to go off and play in the nearby flowerbeds, wanting to discover hidden treasure that only existed in his own imagination.

"Okay, Bambino," the plumber chuckled. "You can go play, but don't pull up any flowers, capisce? The princess won't like that and you may not get any of the special treats I brought over."

The mention of treats immediately perked up both twins; that was at least a common trait for both versions - both he and Mario had voracious appetites, with Luigi leaning more towards sweets than anything else. That was really the only reason why he'd get so upset when Mario went off on an adventure by himself; there was usually cake at the end of that and his older brother never thought to bring pieces home.

Today, Luigi had been in a baking mood and knowing that Daisy was going to be over, he had made a box of cannoli - an Italian treat that their Nana had given them when they had been behaving well. As part of an apology, Luigi had introduced the treat to the desert princess, who had instantly loved it (though he wasn't sure if it was the treat, the fact that he had made it, or that he had offered it in apology for missing going to a ball with her due to an unforeseen adventure popping up).

The prospect of treats had both boys nodding before going off to the flowerbeds, finding butterflies to chase. With the smaller twins occupied, the adult stood from the ground, wiping dirt - real or imaginary - from his dark blue overalls and green shirt. He straightened his signature green cap before making his way over to the red-haired royal that had been sitting and watching the events since coming outside.

If anyone had asked how a guy like Luigi Andolesi could have gotten a girl like Daisy Chai, he still wouldn't have been able to answer. By her very personality and disposition, Daisy was probably more suited to his brother, however the two of them had easily fallen into a friendly and sibling like relationship since being reintroduced during the first tennis tournament.

The Flower Princess certainly wasn't the type of girl that Luigi would have dated if they had been in Brooklyn; those types of girls - beautiful, confident, classy - had always been out of the reach of the youngest twin, usually because of his shyness and nervousness around those women. The small number of girlfriends that Luigi had dated, however, were usually like him - like Peach actually - who were calm and thoughtful when it came to each decision that was made.

In comparison to Daisy, these girls brought a sense of calm and stability to a life that seemed to just be going through the motions.

The Sarasaland princess was nothing like these girls.

To be honest, Luigi got the same sense of excitement and dread with Daisy that he got when Mario had an outrageous plan or an adventure planned - that feeling that whatever was to happen, he was going to barely get out alive. That was certainly the case with the auburn haired beauty, who had no trouble in showing people that she was attracted to the younger Mario brother; Luigi, for his part, had been drawn in by her flirtatious attitude and sky blue eyes that he found himself rising to every bait that she dangled in front of him. He loved her love of life attitude, the way she wouldn't hesitate to defend anyone she thought needed it, her ultimate kindness, and her overall athleticism.

She had beauty, brains, and a gorgeous body and the green colored plumber thanked the stars that they saw fit to grant this desert beauty to spend her days with him.

Collapsing on the bench beside the princess in yellow, Luigi gave a dramatic sigh. "I have to imagine this is the mother's curse working true to form," he muttered.

"That you'll have a child that acted just the way you did?" Daisy asked, cheekily. "My Dad tells me that all the time. I bet he's counting down the days until that happens to me."

"I never realized how much of a handful watching twin boys could be," the man groaned, as he stretched out his long legs. "I don't remember being so..."

"Hyper?"

"Energetic."

"That's what you call it."

The two sat in comfortable silence, watching as the two boys as they ran and romped around. "What's up your brother?" she asked. "I mean, he's been a bit of a dick lately; everything okay?"

"With Mario?" asked Luigi. He nodded, though it was laced with a sigh. "Having the babies around is kinda weird for him. Me too, I guess."

"How so?"

"It's just weird to see a little version of me that's not..." he trailed off, sending an embarrassed look towards Daisy. "I mean, in a normal circumstance they shouldn't even be here. This completely upsets the whole space continuum, doesn't it? What if them being here changes something in my past or their future or something?"

"That's a good question," the princess murmured. "I had been wondering about that too." While it had only been once, Daisy had seen a younger version of herself too, which put the same odd parallel universe question in her mind as well.

"Don't you find this weird?" Luigi asked, turning to look at her. "Having these baby versions popping up all the time?"

The flower princess smirked. "My boyfriend is from a parallel world to this one, my best friend gets kidnapped on a weekly basis by a giant lizard/dragon thing who's in love with her, and I myself have been kidnapped by aliens. Baby versions of myself appearing actually seem to fit right in with a normal month of activity."

Luigi couldn't help but chuckle at that. "Well," he began. "When you put it like that..."

"This thing with Mario isn't just about the babies, is it?"

Again, the younger twin sighed. "You're right," he whispered. "This isn't about them being in this time, it's about them being in the Mushroom Kingdom period. As in, they shouldn't be here at all."

"So why are they?" questioned Daisy.

"That's the million dollar question, isn't it?" the plumber huffed. "Something...something's not right about any of this and it hit Mario a little too close to home."

"He isn't the only one," Daisy replied. While Mario had been the most outward in his confusion and anger about everything, the princess knew her boyfriend well enough to know that he also felt unsettled by recent events.

Luigi looked at her in surprise, however the look soon smoothed out to something akin to acceptance. He had just admitted himself that he could not only understand where his twin was coming from, but that he was having the same sort of feelings, though he wasn't being very hostile about it. "I guess not."

The conversation for the moment was dropped as Luigi pondered the issues that had been brought up. Both he and Mario had been actively questioning their entire trip to the past once the babies had gone.

There had been questions from the very moment they had awoken and found themselves on Baby Bowser's ship; besides the fact that they were on their nemesis' ship and how they had ended up there in the first place, what had taken precedence had been the involvement of their younger selves. With everything they had known, the very presence of themselves as toddlers in the company of a younger Toadsworth, a baby Peach, and a baby Bowser had struck them both as being impossible.

How was it that their younger selves were even there? All of their lives they had lived in Brooklyn and had never even heard of the Mushroom Kingdom until that fateful day at Mrs. Rolinski's apartment.

How was it that they even knew Peach before she was the adult princess?

How did their younger selves get to the kingdom in the first place? This could have easily been an isolated incident; perhaps as toddlers, they found the pipe that led to the kingdom and that was how the babies had arrived.

However, a recent visit to Dinosaur Land where their friend Yoshi lived had revealed a new set of incidents. It had just been a friendly visit by Mario, but it had brought up new questions. Yoshi had told a tale that he, along with the other Yoshis, had helped Mario rescue Luigi at least three times when they had been babies.

How was that even possible?

It seemed the only people who could possibly answer these questions were dead and buried back in Brooklyn.

So caught up in his musings, Luigi hadn't noticed that he was being stalked before he felt something grip his leg. "I don't want to alarm you," Daisy whispered, conspirically. "But there's something attached to your leg."

Taking a quick look down, the plumber could only make out a similar green cap that matched his own that was connected to a smaller body that was currently latched onto his right leg. "I know," he whispered back. "It must be...a gnome!"

At the last two words, Luigi had reached down and pulled up the boy, causing him to laugh in surprise before settling in his older counterpart's lap. "Where's Mariano?" he asked the child, who turned and pointed to the small red blur that was still running and chasing butterflies. Luigi couldn't say he was surprised; as a child himself, he often would play with his brother before going off in order to enjoy the peace and calm that only solitude could bring.

He noted that his younger self seemed a bit clingy, even before their past selves had gone back to their timeline. It had taken Luigi a few times to try and explain to the baby that their adventure was over and that he needed to go home.

That had caused the boy some distress and it only seemed to dissipate with some kind words and a Yoshi cookie. The green plumber could understand however; he didn't enjoy change as an adult and he certainly could imagine that being separated from one's older self was a bit scary.

As such, Luigi had seemingly found himself to be a living, breathing security blanket for his younger self. For instance, as soon as Baby Luigi had been caught, he settled down easily, head resting on his older counterpart's shoulder. His thumb had found its way into his mouth, while the same hand gripped the green shirt that was near.

"Someone's ready for a nap," Daisy giggled, rubbing the baby's back. Weegie, as everyone called him, was still a bit shy with her, though he did like her. She was funny and nice and Big Weegie liked her, so he did too. The problem was actually the little baby known as Daisy; she kinda scared him.

"Farfallina, bella e bianca, vola vola mai si stanca," Luigi's voice was low as he started to sing the lullaby that his mother and grandmother had sung to them when they had been younger. It had been one of several, but he remembered that this was his favorite; it was about the flight of a butterfly who moved from flower to flower, an appropriate lullaby in light of their day's play. It didn't take long before the toddler's eyes had closed and he found himself on his way to dreamland.

A shout from his brother was the only thing that disturbed him, but not enough to stop him from returning to snuggling and drifting off. The plumber continued the song as he watched Baby Mario run past them, concerned as to where the child was headed.

He needn't have worried much, as the figures of Princess Peach and Mario came into view, with his older brother holding the child in his arms and listening to the baby’s reenactment of what they had done. Just as Baby Weegie had designated his older counterpart as one of his favorite people, so too did Baby Mario decide that his adult self was a great person that needed to be told everything that was going on in the world of the toddler and his twin brother.

"I'm sure you've had a very exciting day, Bambino," Mario was saying, as the group rounded the corner and nodded to the adults already seated. "But I think it's time you get refueled with a nap."

"No, no, no, no." Unlike his brother, Baby Mario did _not_ like naps. It meant he had to stop playing and that wasn't fun at all.

"Don't argue, Mariano," Mario chided, using the boy’s nickname. This had been a frequent occurrence, especially if the babies happened to be around when they should have napping.

Unfortunately, both he and Luigi had been a little _too_ lenient when it came to naps, enjoying the times they had; half of the time, they ended up joining their younger selves in falling asleep within their home or common rooms in the castle. Like clockwork, the toddler began to fuss at the prospect of having to take a nap, but today Mario was not going to let the boy talk him out of this. "The sooner you take a nap, the sooner you can be playing again."

"Obviously he's forgotten about those treats sitting in the kitchen," Luigi piped up, standing with Weegie in his arms. He nodded to Peach as he headed up to the castle to put his younger self to bed, Daisy and the others following behind him, along the way the baby in Mario's arms fussing before tiredness overrode happiness. The interior of the castle was what you would expect, however Peach and her parents had gone through great lengths to make sure that the castle also offered warmth when one entered it.

Past the huge doors was the entrance hall, where guests and visitors were greeted from the front steps, usually by Peach personally along with Toadsworth. From the stairs, guests were lead to the grand ballroom, where the majority of parties were held, with many of these for the victor in any of the local sporting tournaments, as well as the annual Mushroom Ball was held here. A few rooms were situated around the grand staircase, these being various game and entertainment rooms, especially placed for guests to enjoy sport as well as food.

When not used for entertaining, the room was used and considered the castle's dining hall; the large kitchen was off to the right, where magnificent concoctions were created and made on a daily basis. If one were to continue upwards, the door at the top of the stairs lead to the throne room and thus many of the personal rooms that dignitaries and emissaries could use if they were a guest of the princess.

This also lead to a few private rooms, again for guests of the princess. There were eight rooms in this part of the castle - one belonging to that of the princess herself; the master bedroom which had been her parents and now usually housed her father when he was there; two were for Toadsworth and Toad, the royal advisors and retainers to the court; three additional rooms were for Daisy, Luigi, and Mario.

Mario, coincidentally, had the room that was immediately next door to Peach's, while Luigi and Daisy were located across the hall. Neither of their rooms were used exclusively, thanks to Daisy having her own house in the Mushroom Kingdom and Luigi only frequenting the castle when invited or brought by his brother.

It was Luigi's room that had been offered whenever the babies came to stay, something that Weegie thought was great. Easy modifications had been made to the plumber's bed so that neither child could roll off and hurt themselves, as well as the addition of favorite toys that both brothers enjoyed. By the time the older twin brothers had reached the room, both younger twins were out like lights, snoozing contentedly on their perspective counterpart’s shoulder.

"They'll be out for at least an hour," Mario whispered, pulling up the side guardrail that kept the babies from rolling out. "C'mon. I need to talk to you."

Looking at his brother in confusion, the younger twin none the less nodded before following his brother out, closing the door slightly so the babies wouldn't wake. The variety of servants that walked the halls usually peaked their heads in to see how the toddlers were, usually escorting them to where their adult friends were so they wouldn't get in trouble roaming about the castle (that had not been a pleasant day what so ever).

Both Italian men went back the way they came, heading back down the dining hall, where a Toad met them. He directed them back out to the gardens, where a table had been set up with the cannoli that Luigi brought, as well as some tea for their guest.

"Guest?" Luigi asked. "What guest?"

The taller man didn't receive an answer, causing a frown to form on his face as he followed his brother out to the garden. Directly in front of them as they headed out the door, a table had been set up in the small roundabout. A serving set had already been placed on the top and two chairs were unoccupied, as though waiting for the brothers to come and join the rest. While seeing Peach, Daisy, and even Toadsworth wasn't anything surprising, the appearance of Professor Elvin Gadd was, at least to the man in green.

"Professor?"

"Ah!" cried the tiny man, pointing a half eaten cannoli at the approaching brothers. "There you are! We were all sitting watching the flowers grow waiting for you two. Shake a leg, boyos! I'm not here for my health!"

The brothers made their way towards the table, accepting the empty chairs and sitting down. Luigi took the offered plate of cannoli that Daisy handed him, noticing that his brother waved off his own; Mario, firstly never turned down food and he certainly didn't turn down homemade that reminded him of home.

"Professor," the plumber said, looking at their old friend. "What're you doing here?"

"I got a call from the princess," the elder scientist replied, leaning back in his chair. "Er...Peach, not Daisy, mind you. Seems to me that you boys have a space time continuum problem that you're hoping I can solve."

Luigi immediately shot a look at his brother and from the look on his face, he wasn't the least bit happy about this. "The babies."

"Oh, don't look at me like that," the older brother huffed. "As if you aren't curious. Or worried."

"What exactly am I worried about, Bro?" Luigi countered. "I admit, I had some concerns, but this?"

"Concerns, he says," Mario chuckled. "As though our very pasts or futures aren't affected here."

"Boys," Peach tried to intervene. "Please don't fight."

"Quite right, fellows," Toadsworth interrupted. "I'm sure Gadd is more than happy to explain how this all works."

"It's simple," the professor boasted. "As I said after we returned, everything should have been put to rights with the restoration of the original timeline. Now of course, if you factor in the appearance of your younger selves in our time now for all the games you play, you could theoretically state that the invasion of the Shroobs created an alternate reality in which your younger selves can thus be here and there at virtually the same time. Quite relative, you know."

The group simply looked at the man.

"And in English, all of that means..." Daisy said.

"He means we created an alternate reality," Luigi sighed.

"Not at all, lad!" Gadd replied. "I said that it was a possibility, _in theory_. As such, to my knowledge, the time lines should have reverted back to their normal ways."

"See, Professor," Mario began. "That's the problem. Events that have taken place aren't events that we know to have happened."

"Say again?"

"Luigi and I were never in the kingdom as toddlers," the plumber explained. "So then how exactly _were_ we able to be here in the past?"

"What Mario's trying to say," his brother picked up. "Is what if we've done something that has somehow...changed our pasts?"

"Utter nonsense," Toadsworth said, taking a sip of tea from his cup. "I clearly remember allowing the two of you to play with the princess. That much was evident when I met my younger self."

"How is that even possible?!" Mario exclaimed.

"But Professor, when I won that mansion, you didn't seem to remember meeting me or Mario," Luigi added.

"Luigi," Gadd smirked. "I invent things all the time. Sometimes there are...occupational hazards, shall we say, that sometimes causes irreversible damage to one or more parts of my being."

"Eh?"

"He's saying he's taken one too many shocks to the brain, causing his cells to die off," explained Daisy.

"Eloquently put, as always, my dear."

"How do you explain some of the stuff that Yoshi's told me?" Mario insisted. "About...about helping me save Luigi as a baby?"

"It's not unheard of for children to forget certain details of events, Master Mario," Toadsworth said. "I'm sure her highness doesn't remember half the things she did as a baby. It's all the passage of time."

"I don't buy that," Mario growled. "I clearly remember growing up in Brooklyn. I remember the very apartment that we lived in when we were kids, the place that Nana and Gramps had when we went to visit, and I certainly remember that vase that we may or may not have broken that used to sit on the windowsill. Luigi and I went to JFK elementary, where we had spaghetti every Friday."

"They served the best spaghetti," Luigi reminisced. "I spent my entire elementary school career trying to get the recipe for that sauce. So good..."

"We went to Brooklyn High," Mario continued. "My first girlfriend was Sonia Menjetti, whose brother was on the football team. I clearly remember why Terri Johnson was known as 'Touchy Terri' and I personally supervised the dismantling of old man Hendricks '72 Oldsmobile on the top of the school roof."

"We aren't supposed to talk about that anymore."

"Forget that last thing I just said," the plumber amended. "The point is, if I have just a hard remembering stuff that I did as a kid, why do I remember all of that, huh? Sorry Toadsworth, but I'm gonna need a lot more than just I don't remember something. I have the memory of an elephant."

Luigi smirked. "You mean you have the memory of a brick wall," he quipped.

"I remember that if I punch you in the face, you'll fall to the ground crying."

Before Luigi could defeat himself, because that only happened once and really they were five and so that incident shouldn't have even been brought up, one of the Toad servants came rushing out in a panic.

"Princess!" he cried. "There's a big commotion happening in the castle! We tried to stop him, but he's stronger than he looks! We got all the best guards around him!"

"Bit early," Mario muttered, as the group stood and quickly followed the servant back into the castle. "Bowser usually gives us a break after catastrophic missions; besides, he's two days early."

Before the group had even reached the front hall, they could easily hear the argument and screaming that was taking place below. Odd however was the fact that none of the voices sounded anything like that of Bowser or even one of his minions. When the group reached the top steps to the greeting area, they immediately stopped when they saw who was making such noise.

Surrounded by Toad guards was the lithe figure of Diddy Kong.


	3. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The start of the day sees two missing Mushroom Kingdom citizens. Meanwhile, a mysterious stranger seeks an audience with the Flower Kingdom king for information.

#  **Chapter II:**

 

 

 

"Diddy!?"

"Where is he?" the monkey screamed, once he saw the princess and Mario before him. "What've you done with him?"

"Diddy, please calm down!"

"You better not have hurt 'im or I'll..."

"What are you talking about!?"

"I'll tear this entire place apart!"

"Now just one moment..."

A loud whistle bounced off the walls with a resounding echo, causing the entire fiasco to cease. "Thank you," Daisy announced. "Now if you don't mind, little monkey dude, maybe you can stop your chirping and tell us what's got your banana panties in a bunch."

Peach sighed. While she appreciated the assistance from her friend, there were times Daisy did not take the high road the way she would. "What Daisy means is..."

"Oh, I think he got my meaning, alright."

"We'll help you in any way we can," the royal continued. "But you have to tell us what's wrong first." The Mushroom princess signaled to the guards to let the primate go, showing them that he was harmless and thus, wouldn't harm her. Though the guards were leery, the presence of Mario gave them cause to back off and go about their original duties. "Now Diddy, what is this all about?"

The monkey calmed himself, but still held a look of determination in his eyes. "DK's gone," he said. "We can't find him on Kong Island and if you guys had anything to do with it..."

"Whoa, whoa," Luigi interrupted. "Donkey Kong is missing? Are you sure?"

"We were supposed to be watching the banana hoard," Diddy began. "And when he didn't show up, we started looking for him. I even hit K. Rool's place, not that it did me any good...but then I thought about coming here, so if you guys have him..."

"We don't," Mario insisted. "Diddy, I swear to you, the last time we saw him was at the kart race a few weeks ago. I'll be the first to admit that DK and I haven't always seen eye to eye, but this is the first time I've heard about it and certainly, if we knew where he was, we'd tell you." The others nodded.

The small monkey could see there was truth in their statement, however that only seemed to deflate him further. "You guys really don't have him?" he whispered, his head dropping to look at the floor.

Truth be told, Diddy Kong had convinced himself that if DK were to be anywhere, it was either in the clutches of K. Rool or that of the Mario Bros. Mario and DK had been known to carry a rivalry - something about a girl - and that was the only reason the monkey had rushed to the Mushroom Kingdom. But to hear that not only did the princess or Mario not have his best buddy, they hadn't even known he was gone until Diddy arrived.

Peach hurried down to comfort the primate, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Are you sure Donkey Kong hasn't been captured by King K. Rool?" she asked, softly.

Diddy nodded, a small sniff coming from him as he did. "Funky and Dixie shook the place down," he sniffed. "But they couldn't find him anywhere. I really hoped you guys had him."

Mario let a frown settle on his face. While they still had the whole childhood recollection issue to take care of, he couldn't just let this go. True, he and Donkey Kong had never really been friends and they probably weren't now, but they had grown to at least respect each other. That was why he kept inviting him back for tournaments; he was a great player to have. The fact that he was missing didn't sit right with him, at all. Taking his cue from the princess, the plumber also rushed over, griping the monkey's other shoulder in a tight grip.

"I promise we'll look into this," he said. "We'll find him."

"In the meantime," Peach replied. "I heard one of the cooks say they were making banana bread. Why don't you go and have some? It'll make things a little better."

Nodding quickly, Diddy made his escape towards the kitchen, least the humans see him cry. The group watched the primate make his leave and tried to make sense of what they had been told. "You really think DK just up and left?" asked Daisy.

Mario shook his head. "He loves that banana pile he's got stashed away," he murmured. "There's no way he would just abandon that; not to mention he wouldn't just take off without letting someone know, especially Diddy. Those two are practically family."

"You think maybe K. Rool got him?" Luigi asked. "I mean, he's always going after the Kongs. Maybe he got DK and hid him so well that the others just can't find him."

"Maybe."

"You don't believe that for one minute," Gadd added.

"Professor," Mario sighed. "At this point, there's not much I do believe."

 

* * *

 

Elsewhere in the Mushroom World, other kingdoms were going about their busy day of activities. In the land known as the Flower Kingdom, flowers of all varieties were being tended by the royal court, as well as the inhabitants that enjoyed their outside gardens.

The Flower Kingdom was known as the very hub of floral delicacies; the majority of flora and fauna that were used throughout the Mushroom World was provided by the gardeners and green thumbs of the beautiful land. This land had managed to avoid the majority of wars that had plagued their neighbors and friends, possibly due to the remoteness of the kingdom.

The atmosphere was mild, the appropriate weather for maintaining and growing plants and flowers; the majority of the residents were Toads, but there were some koopas and Goombas that lived along side in peace, escaping the fate that many of them face when the evils of Darkland hovered so close, yet offered much in the terms of provisions.

Ruling this peaceful land was King Haru, a young man in his early thirties who had ruled the kingdom in his father's stead until his death just recently. He was of medium height, with lime green hair and dark eyes that were usually bright with optimistic enthusiasm. Today, however, those eyes were narrowed in a dangerous glint, a sign that his current audience should not have turned on him.

The day had begun as any other, with Haru getting up to start his day. As the unmarried ruler of the kingdom, recently the king had been scheduling some of his time to visit kingdoms he knew that had an eligible princess who was of age to marry. In his youth, he had been slated to marry the young princess in the Mushroom Kingdom, however their fathers had decided that perhaps a match between them would not be a good one, what with the former kingdom's proximity to that of Darkland, as well as its history as a warring kingdom. Though the arrangement had ended, the king had remained pen pals with the blonde beauty, exchanging letters every few months.

He had heard about the hero of the kingdom, an outsider who had come from the real world; there were times that Haru had thought about pursuing the princess once more, but the news that she seemed more than mildly interested in this 'plumner' nearly did have him rush to the lands in order to see for himself who this outsider was.

Ultimately, he decided against it, knowing that she was in constant danger and that he was not a fighter by nature. A few weeks ago, he had visited a nearby, but small land that was under his care, and had met a beautiful young maiden who had captured his eye. This morning was to be spent packing so that he could visit her once more and perhaps invite her back to the Flower Kingdom, with the hope of courting her, however an unexpected arrival had caused him to postpone.

The new arrival was someone he had never met before, hadn't even heard of when the person was shown into his throne room. He wore a black cloak, but it was clear that the being was rather small in stature, though whether it was a man or woman, Haru couldn't immediately tell. "You are the great King Haru, yes?" the being asked, once the king had made his appearance.

"I am Haru," replied the royal. "And who might you be, stranger?"

"I am but a humble servant of my lord and master," the stranger replied, the voice unrecognizable to the king.

"And who might that be?"

"His name is no importance to you, now at least," the stranger replied.

"I would like to know of the master you serve," the king stated. “Or at least where you have come from and why you are here.”

"We come from a far off land, dear King," the servant said. "My master wishes information. There are many stories within your kingdom and we would like to know the validity of one."

Haru nodded. "You are correct," he said. "There are many stories that have been said and passed down throughout the history of the Flower Kingdom. For which story does your master seek to hear?"

"It is not the stories of the Flower Kingdom my lord wishes," said the being. "It is the legend of the stars that he seeks."

"The stars?"

"The stars that have names and a past," the servant continued. "There is a story in particular that is of interest, however we are not aware of its true source or location."

"Then I'm afraid I cannot help you," Haru replied, honestly. "I have no knowledge of any legends that speak of stars. However, if your master still wishes it, you may tell him that there are neighboring kingdoms that may have the information he seeks. Now, if that is all, I'm afraid I must cut this short. I am scheduled to leave and..."

"I'm afraid, dear King Haru," the being replied, taking a few steps towards the monarch. "That you will not be leaving so easily."

"Stop," the king said, his eyes going slightly wide. "I command you to stay where you are or I will summon the guards."

The stranger did do as requested, however when he looked up at the king, his eyes held a glassy look to them, something that seemed to draw in the young man. "Your guards are of no use to you," the stranger said, hypnotically. "And now, you have nowhere to go."

 

* * *

 

High above the skies of that of the Flower Kingdom, a large black ship hovered, above the clouds and visibility to that of the kingdom’s inhabitants. Aboard the large vessel was a multitude of things that could only be identified as shadows, easily moving within the darkness that the ship held. At the forefront of it all was a being that was also hidden in shadow, watching the light move from the window of the bridge.

“Report!”

“My lord,” replied the mysterious being on the surface. “I have captured this kingdom’s leader. He is ready for teleportation upon your command.”

The leader of the vessel nodded his approval, though his subject couldn’t see the action. Turning to one of the shadow beings that stood near, he said, “Prepare the teleportation device.” To the being that seemed to be assigned to steering the massive vehicle, he commanded, “Our objective has been completed here. Take the ship towards our next designation of the place called Jewelry.”

“Yes my lord!”

The lord closed his milky eyes, tapping in to a telepathic ability in order to communicate with his other servants. “My lord,” responded one. “We have captured the hero of the jungle lands here and have teleported him to the ship.”

“Good,” the lord said. “What of the other heroes?”

“My lord,” replied another servant. “I am having trouble with the fat one here. I have ordered some reinforcements, however I believe with the extra help, he will be subdued.”

“Your majesty, we have arrived at our destination of the lizard known as King of Koopas. We will have a report as soon as he is in our grasp.”

The lord nodded. “Excellent,” he whispered. “Everything is going to plan. Soon, no one will stop me and this world will be mine.”

 

* * *

 

With Diddy Kong passively fed and reassured and with two toddler boys awake and eager for treats, the castle of the Toadstools was once again lively. The elder attaché and retainer known as Toadsworth certainly enjoyed the peace and quiet that came with the normal everyday business that occurred within the castle, however even he knew that the princess sometimes enjoyed the company of others.

The distinguished Toad held a high place within the royal court; he had been employed as a royal diplomat by the king and queen in his youth, something that had translated into ensuring that the young baby daughter was watched over whenever the couple had to attend to royal business. It was a job that the young Toadsworth hadn’t minded. He and his wife never had children of their own and the princess had been such a precious baby that taking care of her hadn’t been a hassle.

He was quite proud of the young woman that she had grown into and – if he admitted it to himself – approved of her choice in romantic companionship. While the brothers could use a bit more spit and polish, their hearts were in the right place. In his travels with King Toadstool, the magistrate couldn’t imagine a more suitable beau for his princess.

Yes, the brother in red could be a bit headstrong; he was one of those people who wore their hearts on their sleeve and looked before leaping, regardless of the consequences to his being, however the plumber clearly showed that he would do just about anything to ensure that Peach was safe and out of harm’s way. Master Mario had shown and proven that if anyone could love the young woman more than her father or that of Toadsworth, it was he.

Master Luigi was a good lad as well, a bit cowardly, but the younger brother had shown that when the chips were down, he rose to the occasion. Truth be told, Toadsworth would never have thought that the timid man would be a match for the very vivacious desert princess that was Daisy. If ever there was an opposite to Peach, it was her. It wasn’t that Toadsworth disliked the young woman; on the contrary! There were times that her direct approach worked better than anything anyone could come up with.

However, she could be rather brash and usually didn’t hold the very calm and diplomatic air that Peach presented when dealing with people. In ways that he hoped Master Luigi could provide a level head to the young woman, while simultaneously instilling more confidence in him, he also hoped that Peach’s usual level headedness could counteract the impulsiveness that Master Mario sometimes had.

Still, he had to admit that the young people in his life were full of excitement and enthusiasm. It was certainly never a dull day within the kingdom.

In fact, as the elderly retainer stood in the entrance hall, overlooking the group as they fed the younger Mario bros, the day seemed to be calming down from the excitement of the storming Diddy Kong, the missing Donkey Kong, and that of the issues and questions that seemed to be plaguing the plumber in red.

That’s when the lanky figure known as Waluigi came storming in.

Waluigi was a friend of Wario’s, who seemed to have a deep seated hatred of the plumbing brothers. Waluigi was a tall man, towering over both Luigi and the princesses – who were all tall in their own right – and lean to the point of a string; his dress was that of blue overalls that were similar to that of the Super Marios and a purple shirt that matched a cap that rested on his head.

If there was an embodiment of dastardly, it was formed as this one individual, just as the word greed could be summed up by just mentioning Wario’s name.

“Can’t we get a break today?” Luigi moaned, seeing the taller man.

Normally, the green shirted plumber didn’t really have a problem with people – in that, both he and his brother were the same – but there was something about Wario and Waluigi that just grated on them. For Luigi, the constant flirting Waluigi did with his girlfriend would’ve been enough to make any man annoyed beyond belief.

“Shut your cake hole, tiny,” retaliated Waluigi. “This isn’t a social call, though just seeing you Daisy girl, is enough to make me want to get social.”

“I’d rather stab my eyes out with a spoon,” came the flower princess’ retort.

“Now see here, sir,” Toadsworth replied, walking towards the thin man. “You are in mixed company of not only the royal court, but that of children. You would do well to watch your tone and…suggestions.”

“Is there a reason you’ve darkened our doorstep?” Mario asked.

“Listen up, Sir Eats-a-Lot…”

“Hey!” Luigi cried, pointing a finger at the intruder. “You can’t say that about Mario! That butterball is my brother and I’m the only one who can make fun of him.”

Mario nodded, proud that his little brother would defend him like that. Until he realized what it was that Luigi had actually said, causing him to turn an irritated look on his younger twin.

“I don’t have time to go toe to toe with you losers, so I’ll get right to it.”

“About time,” muttered Daisy.

“I know you clowns got Wario stashed somewhere,” Waluigi began. “So I think it’s best that you just let him go unless you want the ultimate beat down.”

“Wait,” Mario said, a strange look on his face. “Are you saying Wario’s missing? The day has suddenly gotten brighter and happier.”

Peach shot him a look that was clearly not amused before she turned back to regard her ‘guest’. “Waluigi,” she asked. “What exactly happened?”

“How should I know?” Waluigi exclaimed. “I wasn’t there. I just go over and he’s not there and the place is all tore up. You’d think that girl of his would know how to keep house.”

“For the sake of keeping the peace,” Daisy began. “I’ll spare you a punch in the face for that last remark. So you find that your wee little piggy is missing and you just assume we have something to do with it?” Turning to look at Luigi, she muttered, “We must be popular.”

“I can’t help it if you losers are…you know, losers,” was the man’s retort. “Besides, who else would kidnap him?”

“You mean who else could carry his fat…”

“Mario!”

“If you wanna talk fat, Thunder Thighs…”

“Hey!”

“Alright, now that is enough!”

It was rare when Toadsworth needed to raise his voice, but this was one of those times that someone of authority needed to take charge.  
“Now Mr. Waluigi,” he started. “I can assure you that we have no idea as to where your ‘friend’ is, and quite frankly, I hardly doubt that Princess Toadstool would have any business to do with that ruffian. Now if that is all, I believe you should take your leave and say good day.”

“Hey listen up, Stuffy McStuffy Pants…”

“I said good day sir!” the retainer commanded. “Take your leave before I have the royal guard take it for you.”

Probably cowed, Waluigi kept his mouth shut as he prepared to leave, however he did manage to send hateful glares to that of both brothers, before sneering at the desert princess. Turning in a huff, the man in purple made his way out the front doors.

“Whoa, Toadsworth,” Daisy giggled. “Way to take a level in bad ass!”

“Daisy!” Peach admonished, glancing at the two young children who were obviously enjoying the show the adults were putting on.

Daisy at least had the grace to blush for her comment, winking at little Weegie as she said, “Sorry munchkins. Don’t repeat the bad stuff, huh?” Glancing at the retainer again, she said, “It was still pretty cool.”

“Goo!” exclaimed Baby Mario.

“Yes…well…” Toadsworth replied, trying to bat away the praise for his quick dismissal of the man. “He certainly wasn’t presenting his case in a way that was beneficial to his cause.”

“Still,” Mario mentioned. “As much as Wario gets on my nerves, it doesn’t make any sense for him to just suddenly up and disappear. And you heard Waluigi – the place was seemingly rifled through.”

“Weird, huh?” Luigi asked. “I mean, first Donkey Kong disappears and now Wario? Think something’s going on?”

“Yeah, but what?” Daisy asked. “If this is connected, who would want to kidnap both DK and Wario?”

“And for what reason?” Peach added.

“It certainly does sound like a mystery had unfolded,” Toadsworth replied.

“Did I hear someone mention a mystery?” called a voice. Gadd, who had made himself at home within the castle’s kitchen, had completely missed the tirade by Waluigi, but of course had managed to come in at the mention of a mystery. “Seems that we have a lot of that going on, eh?”

“Do you have any idea what could be going on, Professor?” Peach asked.

“Bring me up to speed and let’s see what’s going on.”

The group explained the appearance of Waluigi and the fact that now Wario was missing as well. “Hmmm…” the professor murmured. “That does seem to be very interesting. Why would those two make such sudden disappearances? It does seem like a pickle, don’t it?”

“Whatcha thinkin’, Professor?” Luigi asked.

“Well, I’d say you boys need to go chasing down some clues,” the genius replied. “Fact, I think that should be the first thing you boys get done. You go hunt down some clues and maybe I’ll have something of my own to show you when you get back, huh?”

“Sounds great,” Mario said, standing from the table and heading towards the door. “C’mon Weegie!”

At the call of his name, the toddler stood at the same time his adult counterpart did. “Not this time, Bambino,” the adult said, ruffling the boy’s hair through his cap. Seeing that the second baby looked ready to want to join caused Luigi to shake his head.

“You two stay. We won’t be long; besides, the princesses are going to need protection while we’re gone. And there’s no one we trust more than the two of you to protect them, capische?”

“Yeah!” the two cried.

“We are capable of taking care of ourselves, you know,” Daisy whispered, giving her boyfriend a look. Both twins were very aware at how their girls could easily take care of themselves, without any intervention from them, but old manly habits die hard.

“Well aware,” the younger brother said, placing a kiss on the redhead’s forehead, before hurrying after his brother.

“Try to keep outta trouble, huh?” Mario asked.

“Why’re you looking at me?” the desert princess huffed.


	4. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our heroes make their way to Diamond City, while a new person goes missing. A new friend is found, but the arrival of three messages causes more problems.

#  **Chapter III:**

 

Called a ‘sparkling gem of metropolis’ by the so-called discoverer and thus mayor and governor of the town, Diamond City was indeed something to behold. The city itself easily rivaled that of Toad Town, filled with buildings of all shapes and sizes, all with face of the supposed ‘leader’ of the city on their billboards.  
  
To an outsider, especially one used to living in a big city, the city itself was very reminiscent of New York or even LA, with its skyscrapers and businesses that lined just about every street. Above it all however was a large hilltop in which a building with a large W adorning it could be seen in the distance.  
  
“You’ve never been to Diamond City before, have you?”  
  
Luigi shook his head, even as he turned it this way and that in order to get a better look at the city. One thing was for sure - the people who lived here had a much higher opinion of Wario than he and his brother. Or perhaps the overweight man just strong armed himself into there; there may never be an answer. “Reminds you of home, doesn’t it?” the younger plumber asked.  
  
Mario frowned at that; at this point, the very concept of where their actual home was still niggled away at him. Coupled with the fact that they were now on Wario’s turf didn’t endear him to the place nor the man. The Italian-American hated the larger man with a passion he didn’t think he could actually possess towards anyone; he just didn’t have the personality for it.

Maybe it was because the man was so different from him, held a completely different set of morals than the Andolesis thought or believed in. Wario was all about greed; if he could make money on something, he would. If there was anyone the brothers thought could actually sell their own mother for a profit, it was the man in yellow. He was also a cheat and some of the things he tried to get away with during the kart tournaments had nearly cause Mario to deck the man then and there.

“I take it we’re headed towards the big building on the hill, yeah?”

Mario nodded, taking a few steps down the sidewalk where they had emerged. Though Diamond City was pretty much situated on an island, as with other far off lands in the Mushroom World, there were a multitude of warp pipes that allowed people to get around. “The egomaniac has his house near the factory,” Mario grumbled. “Notice how he thinks this is ‘his city’ despite it being otherwise.”

“It’s a little hard to imagine that Wario’s a big time video game producer,” Luigi began. “I mean, how’s a guy like that get into making games for kids even?”

“Simple,” Mario smirked. “He wanted the profits that come with making a game. And that’s of course assuming that he’s actually _making_ those games. I’ve heard he’s got a whole creative team slaving away, making those games, and lard ass up there reaps the rewards. They of course don’t get paid.”

“That’s not right.”

“That’s Wario for you.”

The two made their way through the city by foot, looking around at the shops and stores, as well as the inhabitants. It seemed there were more humans here than anywhere else, at least in which the brothers were used to seeing since arriving in the Mushroom Kingdom. Their travel was as much exploration as it was to get answers, heading towards the looming Wario Ware, Inc. building as it overshadowed the rest of the city.

It took nearly an hour, but the twin brothers were not only able to find a path to the gaming company, but apparently a shortcut warp pipe as well; one that led them straight to the grounds of both Wario’s company and Wario’s house. They couldn’t help but notice the house, fairly large and decorated with a giant blue W on the front of it.  
  
“Is everything he has as big as he is?” Luigi murmured, as the two headed for the front door.  
  
“You’d think he was overcompensating for something,” Mario joked, causing both to giggle like junior high children.  
  
The twins stepped up the door, with Mario making two swift knocks. It was immediately opened by a young woman, with long red hair that was tied behind her in a ponytail. She wore a matching red halter top with a red skirt and boots; it was clear that as soon as she saw the brothers, she wasn’t happy with their appearance.  
  
“Oh, it’s you losers,” she replied. “Wario’s told me all about you two - the midget and the ‘fraidy cat.”  
  
“It’s a blessing he hasn’t mentioned anything about you,” Mario quipped. “That would of course be assuming I’d want to talk to ole lard ass.”  
  
“Hey bro, that’s no way...”  
  
“Lard ass!?” the woman exclaimed. “You should talk, Chubby! Just how many pizzas did you have on the way over here?”  
  
“Hey now, that’s not cool...”  
  
“Judging by your outfit, I bet you’re just like a pizza box in Wario’s house. Wide...”  
  
“Alright, cool it!” Luigi shouted, stopping the two from any more outbursts or insults. “Listen, Miss, Mario and I just found out about Wario’s disappearance...”  
  
“Just found out, huh?” the woman stated. “A likely story!”  
  
“You know what?” replied the shorter plumber. “Fergetaboutit! Wario certainly hasn’t done anything for anyone else, so why should we even bother?”  
  
The young woman huffed, crossing her arms over her chest in defiance, a gesture that was easily matched by the plumber in red.

“Wario isn’t the only one missing,” Luigi whispered. “Now if there’s any connection that something else is going on, you owe it to him to find out. And that’s why we’re here; to find out what happened to him.”  
  
The combatants didn’t seem to want to back down, but eventually the red haired youth did drop her stance and sighed. Mario, for his part, nodded to his brother; the taller man may not jump in to the fray the way his brother did - which in most cases usually got the older twin into trouble - Luigi did possess something that Mario didn’t; diplomacy. Luigi’s cautious nature not only made him a great strategist, but a diplomat as well.  
  
It was something Princess Peach recognized too, causing the young monarch to appoint the man as a diplomatic envoy for the Mushroom Kingdom. Already, he had managed to bring at least three adversaries over to being allies.  
  
“Yeah, alright,” the girl muttered, allowing the two to enter the house. “Sorry for the ‘tude; little edgy, you know?”  
  
Though neither brother had ever been to or been inside Wario’s house, the scene that greeted them was beyond anything they ever did in their teen years. The couch was overturned, a large beatbox was smashed to the floor, and clothing and other items were strewn across the area.  
  
“That must’ve been some struggle,” Luigi whispered.  
  
“Yeah,” the woman answered. “I’m Mona, by the way. Don’t mind the skivvies or the food; that stuff is always here.”  
  
“Then how did you know he went missing?” Mario muttered to his brother, in a stage whisper. Clearing his throat, he asked, “So what exactly happened?”  
  
“Not sure, really,” Mona said. “Boss man didn’t come in to work today, so me and Jimmy T came over to see what’s what, right? So when we get here, the place is like this and Waluigi is pitching a fit over how he’s gonna get those guys. Meaning you.”  
  
“So Waluigi saw the guys who took Wario?” Luigi asked, shocked.  
  
“Of course he did,” the oldest sneered. “And just decided to pin this on us.”  
  
“Did he at least get a good look at these guys?”  
  
“How could I?” responded a voice that could be no one else but the tall man in purple. “You were wearing a dark cloak, but I know it was you, Fat Gombi.”  
  
“Look here, you...”  
  
“Hold it!” Luigi interrupted. “Let’s not go through this again. For the last time, Waluigi, neither Mario nor myself had anything to do with Wario’s disappearance.”  
  
“What would be our motive?” Mario asked.  
  
“Motive?” Waluigi questioned, a confused look on his face. “No need to get fancy, Mr. Fancy Pants. Ain’t my fault you’re just jealous.”  
  
“I assure you that’s far from the truth,” Luigi commented. “Look, if you saw the people that took him, why didn’t you tell us at the castle? What did they look like anyway?”  
  
“I told you,” the taller man huffed. “The guy was little; actually, he was tinier than Short Round here. And they were wearing robes or cloaks or something, so I couldn’t even see their faces or nuttin’.”  
  
“You think one of the other lands is attacking?” Mona asked. “Like that Mushroom princess is attacking us!”  
  
“Okay, first of all,” Mario stated. “No one’s going to be attacking Diamond City...”  
  
“They just did, didn’t they!?” exclaimed Waluigi.  
  
“No one in their right mind who would want anything in return is going to attack Diamond City,” the plumber amended, ignoring the indignant looks he got from the current residents. “Secondly, Princess Peach is not in the habit of attacking territories in her own realm or in any realm for that matter.”  
  
“Obviously this is some outside force,” Luigi murmured.  
  
“Well you said other people were missing.”  
  
“You got other missing people, too?” Waluigi asked.  
  
Though reluctant to answer, Mario none the less thought it better if these two were in the know, so to speak. “Donkey Kong’s missing too,” he sighed. “Diddy came by and wanted to know if we’d seen him.”  
  
“That big ape is gone?” the man in purple asked. “Who’s doing it?”  
  
“I think it’s more like who’s next!” the red head started.  
  
“Whatever’s going on, don’t worry,” Luigi placated her. “We’re looking into it.”  
  
“Yeah?” Mona sneered. “Where’s our military protection? If that peachy princess of yours is our ruler or whatever, then how come she hasn’t sent out the troops? Do you have any idea what’ll happen if the workers find out Wario’s missing?”  
  
“What do you care?” asked Waluigi, looking at the woman. “It’s not like he pays you to work or something.”  
  
“It’s the principal of the matter!”  
  
“When we find out anything, we’ll let you know.”  
  
“You’d better,” Waluigi threatened.  
  
Rather than sling another insult, Mario just gave the man an evil glare before walking out with his twin following behind him. “So what do we do now, bro?” asked the plumber.  
  
“Despite being not only vague, but annoying,” Mario started. “They did give us a bit of a clue. Whoever we’re looking for is in disguise, wearing a robe, and is short. Who does that remind you of?”  
  
“Who?” Luigi asked. “What? A magikoopa?”  
  
“It’s either Kammy or Kamek,” the red plumber said. “Either way, Bowser’s involved.”  
  
“But how can you be sure?” Luigi asked. “And why would he kidnap DK and Wario? What’s the angle?”  
  
“Does it matter?”  
  
“Uh, yeah,” Luigi said. “I mean, I don’t like Bowser either, but we can’t just always assume that when something goes wrong, it’s him. I mean, remember with Shroobs?”  
  
Mario stopped by the warp pipe that had gotten them there and sighed. While deep down he knew his brother was right, he just couldn’t help but automatically assume that Bowser was involved. In most cases, he was, but the plumber had to admit that this wasn’t exactly the lizard king’s style. Why would he go after DK and Wario if his main nemesis were the brothers, particularly Mario?  
  
“Besides,” the younger brother continued. “Can you _really_ see Bowser kidnapping people who aren’t Peach? He’s not the kinda guy that goes off plan, you know?”  
  
“Yeah, I know,” Mario grumbled. “And you’re right; this isn’t Bowser’s style. Not unless he’s discovered something that those two are going to do or have done that will keep him from ruling the kingdoms and the universe.”  
  
“Well, we can at least count on one thing.”  
  
“What’s that?”  
  
“We don’t have to worry about Bowser up and leaving,” Luigi stated. “I mean, can you imagine what would happen if _he_ got kidnapped?”

 

* * *

 

While the Mario Bros were busy trying to discover what could have possibly happened to Wario, back at castle de Peach, everything seemed to be well in hand. The twin toddlers were allowed to play blocks on the floor of the entrance hall and convinced both adult princesses to play with them.

Toadsworth watched it all with a small smile on his face. Though many assumed he was incredibly strict - and yes, a bit stuffy - when it came to the Peach and everyone around her, Toadsworth was actually a rather proud second father to the girl and that pride also extended to the group he currently watched. He remembered the times watching three babies play around in the gardens.  
  
This recent behavior with Mario was a bit unsettling. For as long as he had known the man, he had never been so standoffish before; this space in his memory was disconcerting to the toad. Surely the boy remembered his own childhood? Granted, there would be gaps as one got older, but to forget a large chunk of it seemed...not only unbelievable, but tragic. He just hoped that once they got all this disappearing business out of the way that Prof. Gadd could straighten out this memory loss.  
  
Despite the apparent disappearance of two of its citizens, the Mushroom Kingdom continued about its day, with deliveries being made, food being prepared, parents chasing after their children in the town square; it was pretty much a typical day within the city.

Even when the fleet of ships began to cover the sky, their destination obviously for the castle, led by a strange looking helicopter thing that bore the face of an angered clown.

As the ships reached their destination, the lead chopper threw out a single bomb that managed to blow a hole in the side of the castle wall.  
  
“What in the Great...!?”  
  
“Mama Mia!”

“Oh no!”

“Alright, listen up chumps!” called the being inside the copter, jumping out and landing in front of the assembled members within the hall. “I wanna know where my dad is, so you better start talking!”

“What’re you talking about?” asked Daisy roughly. The being - who was just a small koopa, not much older than the two toddlers that stood before him – only sneered at the desert princess

Bowser, Jr - who was the last of King Bowser’s children and the rumored heir should anything happen to the king - was the spitting image of his father, only in bite size form. In fact, many thought that the young boy looked identical to his father when he was a child. Looking at the two toddlers before him, he giggled.

“What’re you two gonna do?” he asked, watching as the two seemed to be ready to battle. “You couldn’t even beat me and my Pop in the races last week!”

“No fair!” Baby Luigi shouted.

“Cheeteded!” seconded Baby Mario.

The only reason the Goo Goo Buggy had failed to make even the top five was due to the illegal moves that both Bowser senior and junior had done during the race. Several times they had knocked the babies into hazards or other perils. It was only their cuteness and not their assurances that allowed their adult selves to even remotely _consider_ letting them back for another year, and even that was to only have one racer per kart.

Needless to say, the arrival of the koopa kid spelled a perfect chance for some revenge.

Baby Mario was of course ready; like his older counterpart, the baby never backed down from a challenge, nor it seemed a fight. While his younger brother wasn’t one to jump in, Weegie had a score to settle too. He had gotten a very bad owie from one of their falls and if it wasn’t for the kindness of Big Daisy, it would have hurt for what the toddler figured would be for life.

“Just one minute!” The princess in pink huffed, hands on her hips and a displeased face directed at the boys. Peach wasn’t known for her anger or even getting angry in general, but there were times when a ruler had to put their foot down and lay down the law of the land.

This was one of those moments.

“I am very disappointed with you two,” she stated, looking directly at the twin babies, who looked at _her_ as though she had lost her mind. They were being attacked and _they_ were being yelled at? “We do not fight a visitor to the castle.”

“’Tecting!” Baby Mario said, as sternly as a baby could. Big Mario and Weegie had given them a job and that was to protect the nice ladies and as far as he was concerned, he was doing exactly that.

Or at least he was until Peach decided that she had completely forgot that this was little Bowser and he was bad. Pointing at the koopa, he concluded with, “Bow’er bad!”

“No, he isn’t,” she responded, before thinking on that statement. “Well…not always. And yes, I know big Mario and Luigi said you had to protect us, but sometimes protecting doesn’t mean getting into a physical fight.”

“When is that?” Daisy asked, a skeptical look on her face.

“Not helping,” the other princess muttered. Turning to the young lizard lord, she said, “And I’m very disappointed in _you_ , Junior. This is how misunderstandings happen and why so many nations end up going to war, because they don’t bother to state exactly what their troubles are before barging in and destroying things.”

The koopa kid bowed his head in guilt. Though he usually went along with his father’s plans, especially if it involved beating out those plumbers, like his father, Junior held a soft spot for Peach. While he knew that she wasn’t his biological mother, she was probably the first adult who treated him like…well, like she actually _liked_ him. And if Junior could have chosen his parents, deep down he wished he had a mother like the princess.

“Sorry, Mama Peach,” he whispered.

“Apology accepted,” the royal nodded, before a concerned look reached her face. “Now, what’s the problem?”  
  
“My dad’s gone.”

“What?”  
  
“A likely story!”

“Everyone, please calm down.” Walking over to the small koopa, Peach knelt until she was eye level with him. “Junior, what do you mean he’s gone?”  
  
“I dunno what happened,” the boy sniffled. “I heard some of the Koopa Troops talking and they said some guy came and took dad away. Why would they take him away, Mama Peach?”  
  
“I think a better question is why they waited so long,” muttered Daisy, causing an unexpected smirk to appear on Toadsworth’s face as he heard it.  
  
“Junior, listen to me,” Peach cooed, placing a motherly hand on the child’s arm. “Something very strange is going on here; Bowser isn’t the only person to have disappeared today.”  
  
“He isn’t?”  
  
“No,” she replied. “And I have a feeling these things are all connected somehow. But don’t worry. When Mario and Luigi get back, we’ll think of something to get your father back.”  
  
“But...” the young koopa stated. “They’re the _bad_ guys.”  
  
“Nuh uh!” shouted Baby Mario.  
  
“Boys,” Peach warned. Turning back to Junior, she said, “That wasn’t very nice. Baby Mario and Luigi have strict orders to make sure nothing happens to me while their older selves are gone. From their perspectives, what do you think it looked like when you came smashing through my castle’s wall?”  
  
Junior turned a deep shade of red at her words, before sheepishly looking over his shoulder at the large hole that had been made with the bob-omb he had thrown. Looking back at her, he whispered, “Probably that I came to kidnap you again.”  
  
“That’s right.”  
  
While he knew what he had to do, Junior wasn’t eager to do it. But, it would no doubt mean that Mama Peach would be proud of him again if he was to be a big boy. Walking over to the babies, he said, “Sorry I attacked you.”  
  
Baby Weegie looked between the koopa kid and his older brother, trying to decide what to do. Little Bowser _did_ look like he felt bad, but Mario didn’t seem to think the child was serious and looked ready to throw a punch should the situation require it. “Mario, Luigi,” Peach addressed. “What do you say?”  
  
“So’wry Bow’er,” Weegie said.  
  
But Baby Mario wasn’t going to budge so easily. Bowser was bad! He knew it, Peachy knew it, and when Big Mario came back, he was probably gonna be mad cause they had the little troublemaker and then Peachy made him say sorry. Well, _he_ wasn’t gonna do that, no way! In fact, he turned his stern little face over to Peach to let her know that he was not happy about this whole affair.  
  
“Mariano,” Peach replied, sternly. There would need to be a long talk in terms of helping people and forgiving them when they did something wrong, preferably when Mario and Luigi were back. “Say you’re sorry.”  
  
“No.”  
  
“Mario Francesco, I will not ask again.”  
  
The toddler turned away in a huff before looking over at his brother, who just shrugged. Fine help he was. With a frown on his little face, the boy said, “So’wry.”  
  
“Sorry who?”

“Bow’er,” the boy said, crossing his arms in defiance as he did.  
  
“Sorry I blew up your wall, Mama Peach.”  
  
At this, the princess sighed. “It’s alright, Junior,” she said.

The castle had been through so much in her time as ruler of the kingdom; her constant kidnappings by Bowser and his troops had actually given a rise in employment for construction crews in the town. While that of course was a boom for the kingdom, the princess couldn’t say the same for her castle.  
  
The small koopa gave a signal for his troops to turn back, stating that his father wasn’t there and that they would most likely be getting the help of the princess to find him. The troops of course were always suspicious of their rivals, especially if the plumbers were to be involved, but their jobs were to take orders and follow them and if the little prince said they were out, they were out.  
  
Watching as the Darkland ships began to head out, the group within looked at it through the large huge in the front wall. “Should I contact the construction crews, your highness?” asked Toadsworth.  
  
“Please.”  
  
“How fast are those guys?” asked Daisy, as she watched the elderly toad head off.  
  
“Who?” Peach inquired. “The construction crews?”

“Yeah.”

“As fast as a construction crew needs to be in repairing a royal castle.”

“I ask,” Daisy replied. “Because when the guys get back and see this, all hell is going to break loose.”  
  
Baby Luigi nodded his head in agreement. He didn’t know what hell was, but from the expressions on the adults’ faces - and even the small indignant look his brother still held - he knew it to be a bad place and he knew that the adult twin brothers would not be happy when they returned.

 

* * *

  
Within the Mushroom World were many lands and kingdoms aside from that of those ruled by human masters. One of these areas was called Dinosaur Land and within this land was a place known as Yoshi’s Island. Yoshi’s Island was home to a species known as the Yoshis, dinosaur like creatures that could be used for travel depending on the person who requested it.  
  
It wasn’t known where or how the Yoshis came to be, especially in their resemblance to the dinosaurs of Earth. Their large snouts were their predominant feature, which featured a sensitive nose that was capable of smelling out fruits and other things from the overall layout of the land. Another feature was that of their long, adhesive tongues, which was of course used to eat those fruits or other tasty things that were pulled in with it.

Because of this, Yoshis were known for having voracious appetites, often times eating any and everything that came within their paths. While gluttonous at best, there was actually several abilities that could be taken from this; the first was the ability that Yoshis had to eat enemies, often times gaining fire breath when done.

The second ability was encasing matter into eggs once something had been eaten. This gives Yoshis the ability to use a long range attack by throwing these eggs at their foes. Yoshis are particularly distinct, as they come in a multitude of colors and even have their own distinct dialect to communicate with others.

In all of the history of the Yoshis, however, there has only been one that has been able to communicate with the humans and other beings that lived outside of the island and land itself. This Yoshi was green in color and was called Yoshi. This Yoshi was fairly popular among the other younger Yoshis, as he had gone on many adventures with humans and even royalty. Many times, the other Yoshis had sought this particular creature to lead them against their foes, but being the modest and shy creature that he was, Yoshi had declined, stating that there were other good Yoshis who would do a much better job than he.

Truth be told, Yoshi enjoyed all the adventures he was having and he was afraid that if he took over the leadership role, he wouldn’t be able to have anymore. Ironically enough, this particular dinosaur had just started on a new adventure without even being aware of it.

It was because of this particular Yoshi that another Yoshi – this one a cyan with a small red Mohawk on his head – had quickly run towards their neighbors in the Mushroom Kingdom for help. In fact, the very people he was looking for just happened to be making their way back towards the castle when they saw the little guy turning about frantically.

This Yoshi, whose name was Moshi, had never been off the island before, but he had a lot of courage and he vaguely remembered the little human in red when he had visited his friend a few weeks earlier. Never being off the island and therefore, never being in the Mushroom Kingdom, the poor guy found himself lost in the forest.

“Hey, there’s a Yoshi.”

“Wonder if something’s up. Not many come by here.”

“He looks a little lost.”

“Well, let’s help him out.”

A loud whistle caught the little cyan creature’s attention, causing him to spin around in terror. To his relief, it wasn’t something that would eat him that had called, but the little man in red and another, taller man who wore green.

“Yoshi!”

“Hey there.”

“Yoshi! Yoshi, Yoshi, Yoshi, Yoshi, Yoshi!”

“Whoa, whoa,” Mario said, putting his hands up in defense. “Slow down there, little guy. What’re you saying?”

“Yoshi!” the dino exclaimed. “Yoshi, Yoshi, Yoshi, Yoshi! Yoshi?”

“What did he say?” Luigi asked, turning to his brother.

“I…don’t know,” replied the shorter man. While both brothers had many years of experience in using Yoshis as modes of travel or saving Yoshis, they really only spoke to _one_ Yoshi and that one spoke pretty good English.

Placing both hands on the upset Yoshi’s shoulders, Mario said, “Look, obviously something has happened. I think it best if we head to the castle, okay? We can get more help there.”

Though Moshi didn’t understand what the red man said, he did get the sense that the human knew that something was wrong and that he was going to help get Yoshi back. Jumping in excitement, Moshi turned and indicated the saddle that was attached to his back. Mario wasted no time in jumping on to the Yoshi, but stopped to look at his brother, who was without a Yoshi companion.

“I don’t suppose you’d be willing to send a taxi back for me?” asked the younger man.

“Why ride, Bro, when you can fly?”

“And just how to do you suggest I do that?”

The older brother smirked before pulling out a brown leaf by the steam from his pocket. “If I remember correctly,” Mario said, with a sly look on his face. “Daisy said she liked the way you looked when you have a tail.”

Snatching the power up from his brother’s hand, Luigi instantly sprouted furry ears on top of his head, along with a bushy stripped brown tail from behind him. “Never you mind what Daisy thinks about my tail.”

Mario laughed at the look he received and while still in this playful mood, he shouted, “Race ya!” before taking off on Moshi.

“Hey!” cried Luigi, running to gain some speed before taking to the air.

The two raced through the forest, coming out through to Toad Town, the main hub and largest city within the Mushroom Kingdom. Mario easily directed Moshi through the streets as though having a kart race, while Luigi darted and did loops through the air as he followed.

The race was a fun activity, laced with a bit of competitive flair. The two of course got along as well as most siblings or other brothers did, even if they were only separated by a few minutes in birth order. However, every once in a while, the two were literally compelled to try and outdo each other.

This was easily seen whenever the two were on opposing sides of a sporting event, especially sports. Despite being on the short side, Mario had played a variety of sports, particularly football and wrestling, while in school, while Luigi had been a field and track star, along with being a starter on the basketball team. Certainly, with their adventures within the kingdom itself, both boys still managed to fit a large amount of activity into their daily lives away from Brooklyn.

Some speculated that the adventures that Luigi had gone on, like those outlined in the Super Luigi stories or that of having a mansion full of boos had actually been made up, in order to compete with his older brother. It wasn’t exactly a secret that the taller twin did get slightly offended when people couldn’t even remember his name.

The twins were neck and neck, though it clearly looked as though it would be a photo finish, until Mario stopped short before reaching the bridge that crossed from the town road to that of the castle. Luigi, seeing his brother’s still form, opened his mouth to ask if the man was giving up, when he saw what could have only stopped his twin.

Mario, in a bit of a daze, slowly slid off the Yoshi’s back before walking slightly closer to the edge of the mote in order to get a better view, though it was more to truly make sense of what he was seeing.

The front right side of the castle was missing, a large gaping hole that literally destroyed whatever wall had actually been there.

An icy terror gripped the plumber’s heart and he didn’t waste any time in taking off in a run up the slanted bridge and towards the castle’s doors; Luigi and Moshi shared a shocked look before following in the man’s wake.

The entrance hall was a flurry of activity already, with construction personnel going back and forth with supplies in order to fix and replace the damage, while a larger number of the royal guard were out in force, making sure that spectators weren’t trying to get in.

That’s what the trio found themselves in, when one young toad actually stopped them from entering. A large argument was gearing up, with Mario demanding to be let in and know what happened, Luigi trying to calm him down, the guard keeping his stance on keeping them out, and the young dino looking between everyone in confusion.

“Whoa, Horace, whadda doin?”

Another toad, this one dressed in a blue vest immediately came over when he heard the commotion. He immediately recognized the group, at least two of them, as they stood at the front of the doors and he could tell that if he didn’t step in soon, poor little Horace would be on the receiving end of a very bad Italian temper.

The guard, Horace, quickly snapped to attention. “Captain!” he said, saluting quickly. “I have orders to…”

“Toadie, if this guy doesn’t let us in, I’ll…”

“Cool it, guys,” the commanding toad replied. Turning to Horace, he commanded, “First and foremost, rookie, Mario and Luigi _always_ get into the castle, no questions asked.”

Horace’s small eyes widened at the mention of whom he had been detaining and arguing with. Technically, this was his second official day as a member of the guard and his first actual role; while he had heard about the protectors of the Mushroom Kingdom, he had _never_ seen them in person.

In fact, he was starting to believe that they didn’t really exist.

So imagine his surprise when he discovers he’s keeping those same protectors from…protecting.

“S…S…S…Sorry sir!” the rookie stuttered. “I didn’t know!”

The captain, the one that Mario – even in his anger – had affectionately called ‘Toadie’ gave the rookie a glare before nodding to the two humans and Yoshi to follow him. “Sorry about that, guys,” he said, as they walked towards the doors that led further into the castle. “Rookie, you know. Kids these days, huh?”

“Toad, what the hell happened here?” Mario grounded out. Though neither brother had seen their small friend since his appointment as captain of the Toad Brigade and certainly both were happy to see him, the lack of information in regards to the dismantled wall took precedence over any friendly reunions.

“Junior busted the wall down.”

“What for?” asked Luigi. “And what about the princesses? Where are they? Are they are alright? Are they hurt?”

“No worries,” Toad replied, reaching the top and pushing open the doors to the ballroom. He continued leading the brothers and their friend towards the private section of the castle, where Peach had her throne room.

“Only the wall was damaged,” he continued. “But…”

He paused when he opened the doors to the throne room, the noise of at least one toddler playing on the floor with another person. When the group was far enough inside, the brothers visibly relaxed, seeing their loved ones together and in the same place.

“Weegie!”

Luigi was ready for the little green missile that came at him, bending to catch the little body and throw him in the air slightly. “Hey little me,” he whispered. “You okay?”

“Yeah!”

Seeing Daisy walk towards him, the taller twin immediately drew her close when she was in range. “Are you alright?”

“Of course I am!” the princess replied, giving her boyfriend a sympathetic smile. She knew that if the guys returned and saw the huge gaping hole in the castle, they’d get panicky, hence why she asked how long it would actually take the crews to finish. She of course had the much calmer sibling as her beau, so Daisy didn’t have to worry _much_.

“I had the best protector in the kingdom watching me,” she continued, rubbing the baby’s back. “I had nothing to worry about.”

It took Mario a bit to find Peach, but she was easily spotted coming towards him from apparently leaving her bedroom. She passed by Mariano, who looked up from his sulking to regard her and the appearance of his older counterpart. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” was her reply. It was obvious to her that Mario was clearly upset, though he was doing his best to stay calm under the circumstances. “There was only minimal damage…”

“Being able to see the courtyard from the door not an option anymore?” the shorter huffed. “Why is there a gaping hole in the side of castle? Toad said Junior attacked. Where’s Mariano? Are you sure you’re okay?”

Peach took a deep breath, covering the sigh that had wanted to escape. He was being a bit rude, but she had come to expect that; Mario hated when she was in danger and it was certainly worse when he wasn’t around to stop whatever danger she had found herself in. He tended to get angry, not at her, but usually the situation and himself for not being there when he should.

Underneath it all, he was basically scared silly and he worked through it if he had something to focus on.

“Mario, please calm down,” she whispered, stepping closer to him. While he certainly went through this more times than he should, the princess certainly understood the uncertainty and fear that could go through a person’s mind when a loved one was missing. She had felt the same way upon returning to the castle one morning and discovering that Mario, Luigi, and Toad had been kidnapped by Bowser’s minions.

“Amato,” she tried again. If there was a definite weakness he had, it was her speaking Italian to him. Though she was still learning and certainly would probably never be at the level he and his brother were, there were words and phrases that she knew and could use to her advantage.

“Yes, Junior attacked the castle and the reason being was because he thought we may have taken his father.”

“You mean Bowser’s missing too?” Luigi exclaimed, his blue eyes going wide. Peach turned to him in order to nod her confirmation before turning back to his brother.

“As for Little Mario,” she sighed. “He’s not talking to me.”

The older man’s eyes narrowed. “Why isn’t he talking to you?”

“Because we have a difference of opinion when it comes to knowing how to treat visitors to the castle.”

“Why don’t like I  the sound of that?” Mario asked, glaring at the princess as he did. “And why do I have a feeling that he’s in the right on this?”

“Perhaps we can discuss that on a later date,” Peach huffed, turning away from Mario and towards the light blue Yoshi that stood amongst them. “For now, I think we’ve been extremely rude to our apparent guest.”

Moshi immediately perked up when it seemed the humans had noticed him again. He still didn’t know what was going on, but it was apparent that both the green and red men had been really worried about that hole in the wall and while he didn’t know who the women and children were, from their reactions he could easily put two and two together for the answer.

“Hello.”

“Yoshi!”

“Oh dear,” Peach said. “I’m so used to having our Yoshi around, I don’t think any of us speak Yoshi, do we?”

“Well the professor is still here,” Daisy mentioned. “Maybe he’s got a way to understand the guy. I mean, he didn’t just show up for…”

“Begging your pardon, your highness,” Toadsworth interrupted, coming through the doors of the throne room. He looked like he had rushed right there from where ever he had been and was seen holding several letters in his hands. “I just spoke to the foreman and they say that it may still be a few more hours before the wall is back the way it was. Of course, let’s just hope that it manages to stay intact for the most part.”

“I give it a week,” Daisy said.

“I give it eleven minutes,” added Luigi.

“Yes,” Toadsworth stated. Holding up the three letters, he continued with, “Oh and the Parry Koopa delivered these.”

“All of them for me?” asked the princess.

“Actually, that’s the rather odd thing,” the elderly retainer said. “This one is for you, while this one is for Princess Daisy, and these two are for Master Luigi.”

The three mentioned recipients took their letters with surprise, quickly opening them and reading their contents. Whatever information each letter held obviously seemed to cause distress for those that read them because as soon as they finished, they all exclaimed in worry at the same time.

“This is horrible!”

“Something terrible has happened!”

“I gotta go!”


	5. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group splits up to investigate more disappearances - Daisy does her royal duty, Luigi goes to see a girl about a donut and ice, and stars begin to shine. Meanwhile, our villain has found another star for his collection.

#  **Chapter IV:**

 

 

Princess Peach would be the first to admit that her current reign of the kingdom hadn’t been anything remotely resembling normal – being kidnapped every week would take a toll on any monarch, but somehow she managed to not only maintain her cheery and kind disposition, but was also able to forgive her constant kidnapper.

It wasn’t unheard of at this point for some random villain to show themselves within the kingdom, with the hope of conquering it or using it as a starting point for taking over the entire land and all the other kingdoms, but as always, they were stopped in their tracks, thus concluding an eventful week.

This was _not_ a normal week.

It was becoming increasingly clear that something was going on in both the Mushroom Kingdom and the surrounding lands. Learning that both Donkey Kong and Wario had suddenly disappeared was odd, but coming on their heels was the disappearance of King Bowser, ruling him out as the obvious culprit and now, their problems seemed to be _growing_.

The delivery of four different calls for help, added with the worried stare of a young Yoshi rose red flags for everyone involved. These disappearances were no longer as random as first thought, not with messages coming in from the other kingdoms. Most worryingly was that all of these spoke of the disappearance of a kingdom’s leader; in Daisy’s case, her own father was now missing, pushing the desert princess to return home as soon as possible.

Luigi had actually received _two_ summons – one from Ice Land in the north and the other from the Waffle Kingdom in the east, begging for the green plumber’s help in finding where their loved one had disappeared to. While the group tried to figure out what was happening around them, the professor was able to bring out one of his translation machines, this one attuned to that of the Yoshis.

Moshi was of course frightened, but curious at all the wires that were coming his way, but the Marios and the princess seemed to convey that everything would be okay, so he let the strange four eyed man attach the wiring to his head. Once connected, the machine sputtered a bit, but began an odd hum that indicated to Gadd that it was working before he indicated that the blue dino began his tale.

Young Moshi then began to describe how the elder Yoshi seemed to have disappeared. All of the other Yoshis had searched and searched for him, but they couldn’t find the green creature anywhere, hence why Moshi had ventured out on his own to try and locate the Mario Brothers, for maybe they had seen Yoshi and knew where he was. Just as Diddy and Junior before him, he was disheartened to learn that neither brothers nor princesses had seen Yoshi, not since their last kart race.

That seemed to be a running theme – the last time Wario, Bowser, Donkey Kong, and Yoshi had been seen was the last kart race. It was also the last time Daisy had seen her father, King Citron, who had attended the race to support his daughter as well as to speak to his daughter’s future intended.

By the end of the session, they had seven missing people on their hands and no idea where they could have gone or who may have taken them. So far, the only clue they had was Waluigi’s description of a cloaked individual who may have attacked Wario before taking off with him. In order to find out what was going on, they had no other choice but to split up and look for clues in these other areas.

Daisy loved a good mystery, however this wasn’t exactly how she wanted to get involved in one. While she and her father could disagree on things – he always said she got his temper and stubbornness – she loved him and receiving the notice from her own retainer had stunned her silent, a very rare occasion. She hadn’t paid much attention to the explanation from the little Yoshi, though she knew the others were obviously concerned; she only knew Yoshi through the others and from their sporting events and she couldn’t exactly say they were friends, but she did think he was a decent guy.

Once they had finished listening to his story, Daisy had immediately stated she was heading back to Sarasaland, heading up to her guest room to grab some items from the stash she normally kept them.

That was where Luigi found her, hating himself that he couldn’t go with her. His summons from Princess Éclair had been especially troubling and he hadn’t spoken to King Windbag in a few weeks, which was why receiving a missive from him was worrisome. They had discussed what they should do in quick succession – Luigi would head off to Waffle Land to see Princess Éclair and then Ice Land to King Windbag, while Daisy headed back to her own kingdom.

Because all of these troubling events seemed to have started in the Mushroom Kingdom, Mario and Peach decided at once that they would stay and investigate how all of these things were related, requesting help from the professor to see if he could help them with their search. Normally, Luigi didn’t mind heading off on his own; in fact, once all the accolades for Mario had started pouring in and Luigi was pretty much left in the lurch, the idea of making himself known felt more important.

It wasn’t to say that the green plumber only went out to make a name for himself. Much like his brother, Luigi couldn’t just let someone in need down, which was why his heart was warring with his mind on leaving. His friends needed him, but Daisy was more than just his friend and he didn’t feel like a very good boyfriend by leaving her.

“I still don’t think you should be going alone.”

The smirk he got in response told him much – they’d already had a short conversation about her heading off by herself, especially when it was clear that _no one_ was apparently safe, and he just would feel better if…well…if _Mario_ went with her, to be honest.

“You’re going alone,” she remarked. “To see Princess Cupcake.”

Luigi tried to keep the shy smile to himself, but he couldn’t. He’d mentioned the princess to her before, though he was a little more truthful on the matter with her than he had been with his brother. Yes, he had gotten quite the crush on the Waffle Land princess, especially when he had deemed himself her knight in green armor; however, once it was revealed that the ‘monster’ that plagued her was actually the person she was in love with and betrothed to, well…it was a different matter.

Daisy had tried to dismiss it, but it wasn’t hard to see that she was slightly jealous, especially when she learned that he and Éclair were writing to each other. She knew they were just friends, which was just fine, of course! It still didn’t mean she didn’t get a little annoyed that he had to visit the donut _first_ instead of King Windbag.

“It’s Éclair,” Luigi corrected, coming to stand behind her. Daisy was very good at keeping her deeper emotions concealed, presenting a confident and sometimes brash outer shell, but he could see by the way she was haphazardly throwing in items – he was pretty sure she didn’t need the hair dryer or the pillow – in a bag that her mind was preoccupied.

Which is why he hated that he couldn’t comfort her and go back with her.

“Well,” she huffed, continuing to throw out items before putting them back in her bag. “I know you have a fondness for desserts.”

Even lashing out at him wasn’t a sign of anger with _him_ , but worry and frustration. It was the same thing Mario did when he was worried about something, which made it much easier for Luigi to handle the situation. “I do have a fondness for dessert,” he whispered, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind. “But it’s a daisy that holds my heart.”

Daisy sagged against him, knowing whatever battle she was hoping for was over. Luigi had a way of completing disarming her in their arguments and it certainly didn’t help that he was a hopeless romantic at heart. How could she possibly think to be mad at him when he said incredibly sexy things like that, while looking adorable doing it?

“That’s not fair,” she grumbled, though she did run her fingers over the exposed skin of his wrist. “How am I supposed to counter that?”

“Don’t?” he questioned, causing her to giggle. Nuzzling her ear, he whispered, “I wish I was going with you.”

“I know,” she sighed. Turning in his arms, she shook her head. “I’m sure it’s fine. It’s my dad, he probably lost track of time visiting someone and the whole kingdom is in a panic over nothing. I’d much rather be going with you to see Windbag and Chocolate Donut.”

She knew she was probably pushing her luck with all the names, but Daisy couldn’t help it. As much as Peach accepted her and knew she wasn’t typical princess material, Daisy wasn’t exactly being invited to have tea parties with the other princesses in the other kingdoms; she wasn’t dainty or demure and certainly not much of a damsel and sometimes, it hit home rather hard that she wasn’t the princess that Luigi may have dreamed of or even wanted.

And maybe both plumber brothers instinctively were aware of that – they certainly weren’t the typical princes one would present to a leader and a ruler, but against whatever odds, both Daisy and Peach wanted them just as they were and the same was true for the twins.

“Ti amo,” Luigi stated, firmly, in case Daisy ever had doubt.

“Il mio cuore e tuo,” she whispered back, blushing as she did. She didn’t pick up the language as well as Peach had – because, of course, it was Peach and she already knew at least four others – but that was the one phrase, besides his previously uttered ‘I love you’ that she had wanted to make sure she knew. She wouldn’t be as gushy as the other princesses, but she did want to show that she could at least say what she felt.

“I don’t want you going alone,” she confessed, knowing her own worries echoed his. Yes, he could take care of himself, but so could DK, Wario, and the others and where were they now?

“I’ll take Moshi with me,” he said. “But only if you take Toad with you. I mean it, Daisy. I know it’s home and it’s only a few hours away, but if anything happened to you, I…”

Whatever statement he was going to make was stopped when he felt Daisy’s lips on his, probably one of the most effective ways she could ever think to shut him up. And one of the most pleasant, as they didn’t part for some time. “Deal,” she said, breathlessly.

“I love making deals with you.”

Smiling beautifully at him, Daisy let it drop slightly as she grabbed hold of his overall straps. “Not a scratch,” she said, pulling him even closer. “Hear me? If you so much as come back with a bruise…”

Now it was her turn to be effectively silenced, not that she minded terribly. Efficiency worked both ways with them and never let it be said that neither of them couldn’t take a hint. Her concern, even if masked with a slight bout of jealousy, warmed his heart. He was completely, utterly, and hopelessly in love with this woman and when he thought he couldn’t love her more, he did.

Their tender moment was interrupted with a small grunt, coming from behind them on the bed. Turning to check, Luigi wasn’t truly surprised to find his younger self standing on the bed, his own pack slung on his back. Their younger selves often proved to be intuitive, knowing when the other was in some sort of peril; despite playing with a happier Diddy Kong before his departure, the younger twins must have gotten a sense something was going on or else Weegie wouldn’t be packed.

Luigi shook his head, before reconsidering his words. While he wasn’t about to take the baby with him, he knew that the babies could be extremely helpful with Toad and Daisy. “Alright Bambino,” he said, giving the baby a smile. “But I’m gonna ask you to do a very big favor for me. I can’t take you with _me_ , but I do want you to go with Daisy.”

The baby looked from his older counterpart to that of the desert princess and back again. “You gotta protect her, okay? Just like you did before.” he continued, ignoring the eye roll he could see from the red head. Giving her a look, he whispered, “She’s very important to us, so we gotta make sure she’s okay.” Looking back at the baby, he asked, “Can you do that for me, Weegie? You think you and Mario can keep our Daisy safe?”

Nodding, Weegie said, “’Tect Daisy. Okey dokey!”

“I thought you wanted me to take Toad,” Daisy asked, wily.

“I do,” the green plumber smirked, before delivering a kiss to her cheek. “And now you’ve got the babies to help with that.”

 

* * *

 

Late afternoon turned to evening as the sun began to sink lower in the sky, while the moon began its climb. Daisy had already left the kingdom for her home in Sarasaland, taking Toad and the babies with her. Peach hadn’t really been surprised with the entourage, knowing that Luigi had persuaded her to take the extra muscle with her.

If anything, the pink princess had been a little sad to see Baby Mario go, especially when he had looked so torn between ‘tecting’ her and Daisy. The baby had apologized for his earlier behavior with Bowser Jr, sadness in his little eyes with the thought that maybe she didn’t like him anymore. That of course was the furthest from her thoughts, knowing that the baby took his duty as her protector as seriously as his adult self did. With a kiss to his forehead, Peach assured him her forgiveness, stating that she knew he had been trying to protect her, even though he could have handled his interaction with Junior better than he had.

Luigi would be leaving in the morning for the Waffle Kingdom, taking their new friend Moshi with him. There was a chance he’d be gone for much longer than the others, with him needing to attend to two different communiques. Peach knew Mario was worried about his brother, though he hadn’t come right out and said it, but the sentiment was there and the brothers knew that.

That still left the lingering mystery that they had quite literally stumbled upon. What was going on? What did all of these disappearances have in common? Was it the same person doing it? And if so, why? What was the common theme between all of these? The only thing they could think of was the last kart race, but that only accounted for some of the disappearances – after all, King Windbag and Princess Éclair hadn’t been in attendance, nor was Prince Pine, the author of the correspondence that had been delivered to Peach.

Mario had made plans with Diddy to visit Kong Isle and try to get some info from Funky and Dixie Kong to see if they had discovered anything from DK’s abrupt departure. Peach had already replied to Pine’s help request with a note that they would most definitely try and figure out what was going on, as well as sending one to Junior asking him to come by the next day. She felt it was better to have the younger lizard there to explain without the threat of a three-way baby tantrum.

For the moment, the princess could only hope that these occurrences would be solved quickly, just as their other incidents had been.

 

* * *

 

The black airship continued through the clouds above the different kingdoms they visited. The shadows that hovered made sure the ship continued on its way, searching the different kingdoms within this galaxy to find what they were looking for.

So far, they had many setbacks – several of the rulers they had captured hadn’t been the ones, but their leader saw deeper purposes for them regardless. These insignificant beings were friends to the ones they were looking for and it was the hope that having them would make the other stars come forward, without question.

Their leader hadn’t been sure where the seven stars were, but he knew that the stories had started in the place called the Mushroom Kingdom, within the Grand Finale Galaxy. He had stumbled upon the legend through accident, but it fascinated him, especially when it was clear that there was so much more to learn – it had all started with the Dark Star and then it flowed to that of the seven star children and from there, legend seemed to turn into myth.

But every myth was based in reality and this reality was going to be a dream come true. He had already gathered the ingredients necessary for his plan and he had four of the seven star vessels.

“My lord.”

Turning, he nodded to his first lieutenant, Mathias and waited for his report.

“We’ve located the fifth star vessel.”

 

* * *

 

Luigi always felt butterflies in the pit of his stomach before he started an adventure, regardless if he was with his brother or alone. He always chalked it up to excitement and nerves, but mostly he knew it was fear, plain old fear.

He had spent a very long time coming to terms with the fact that being afraid was normal, even for the hero. He had always looked up to Mario, for his bravery and the way he just took charge of a situation; Luigi wasn’t like that. He was always nervous about taking a step outside of the line, scared by the unknown and what could happen. He would always be that person, the one who looked before he leaped and was hesitant at what he didn’t know, but he didn’t feel as afraid as he had when they first arrived.

After living in the Mushroom Kingdom for years now and having his own adventures, the plumber in green understood his place now. Well, he thought he did anyway.

While he would always enjoy any adventure with Mario, he didn’t need him to go on them anymore. He wasn’t as big of a hero as his brother, at least people knew his name now and he had actually had his own admirers who looked to him and not his brother. Take his summons, for example – both Éclair and Windbag had called on _him_ , not Mario. They were relying on _him_ to help.

And while that did give him the ego boost needed before his departure, he was still nervous and he was still scared. This was the unknown – at least with Bowser, they knew where he would eventually settle and knew what his reasoning were. That’s why having him out of the equation threw them all for a loop. They had handled other villains before, but those villains had made themselves known almost immediately. This…

This was subterfuge. This enemy was sticking to the shadows, happy in their cover of darkness while they went about kidnapping people left and right. Assuming of course, people were indeed being kidnapped; they hadn’t even clarified if that was the case.

Their morning had been spent trying to plan out their next steps. As promised, he had asked the little Yoshi to accompany him to both of his lands, making the little dino jump up in excitement; Moshi had never been on an adventure before, though his journey had started when he had taken his first steps from Dino Island in search of the plumbing brothers.

Mario planned on heading to Kong Isle to talk to the Kongs; if their story matched up with Waluigi and Mona’s, they could at least narrow down that someone was behind this. Peach mentioned wanting to bring Junior over, which did nothing to temper Mario’s…temper. To say he wasn’t happy about this was an understatement, especially when it looked as though the little tyrant would be there before he’d be able to get back from the Kongs.

Shortly after breakfast, Luigi began to head out, making his way through the throne room and towards the front entrance of the castle. “Ah, Master Luigi,” Toadsworth replied, nodding to the green plumber as he passed. “I’ve taken the liberty of sending replies to both the Queen Éclair and King Windbag to let them know of your arrival.”

“Thanks, Toadsworth.”

Luigi glanced to his right, seeing his brother walking into the room. This should have been a regular, normal, everyday run of the mill adventure, however these were _not_ run of the mill occurrences and there was something sinister in this new adventure, a notion that didn’t set well with anyone involved. The two stared at one another for a long minute, though no words passed between them for that time.

“You alright?” the elder asked, giving his brother a once over. The younger brother nodded, giving his twin a look before he once again turned to go. “Be careful!”

Turning back, Luigi said, “You too, Bro.” Glancing to his side, he called the young Yoshi to him and headed out the door.

As clichéd as it was, the twin plumbers did seem to have a bond that was more than just being brothers; Mario had been protecting his baby brother since they were kids and these stories of him going after Luigi while in diapers wasn’t as far fetched as someone might imagine. They weren’t kids anymore and Luigi was more than capable of handling himself against anyone and anything, however it wouldn’t matter their age – he may have been taller, but Luigi was his brother and it would be a cold day in hell before Mario stopped looking out for him.

Watching his brother go off on what should have a seemingly unrelated visit didn’t sit well with the elder twin, especially knowing that they had friends who had just been out and about and then had suddenly disappeared. And to be honest, he wasn’t happy about leaving the princess here by herself, especially not when she had plans on seeing the younger version of Bowser by herself.

And speaking of the princess, Peach met him as he began to head out towards the courtyard where a warp pipe sat. It was a quicker method of reaching the castle from the brothers’ home and Daisy’s within both the Mushroom Kingdom and that of Sarasaland. “I shouldn’t be at the Kongs for very long,” he started, as they walked towards the pipe. “No more than an hour at most and I’ll certainly be back before lunch.”

Peach hid a smile, as well as the urge to roll her eyes. Ever since she mentioned inviting Junior over, he had been reluctant at having to leave. “You know, I was thinking,” she replied, as they stopped by the warp pipe. “As long as you’re headed to the Kongs, maybe you should stop by Dinosaur Land and talk to the other Yoshis. They might have some knowledge on where Yoshi may have gone.”

Rising an eyebrow at all, he asked, “Trying to get rid of me, are you?”

“Perish the thought,” she said, delivering a kiss to his forehead.

“You’re trying to distract me.”

“Never.” Peach gave his hands a squeeze. “I invited Junior for lunch, so I can try to keep him as long as I can.”

Stubborn pride and worry warred together, even as Mario shook his head. He never liked leaving her alone, even when she wasn’t going to be in danger as soon as he left; he certainly didn’t like the thought of leaving her alone with pain in their ass junior, even if the little monster wasn’t as bad as his father.

“I don’t like leaving you alone with him,” he whispered. “Especially when he never comes by alone and by himself.”

“I know,” she said. “But I’m confident that he’s not going to hurt me. Not when he’s worried about the whereabouts of his father.”

“You say that now, but…”

“But I know that no matter what happens,” she interrupted, lifting her hand and placing it against his cheek. “That you’ll come to save me.”

“Always,” he said, firmly. “If anything ever happened to you, I…” The Italian stopped short before clearing his throat.

“I love you,” she whispered, pressing her lips to his. “And I’d be lost without you.”

“And I love you,” came his reply. “And I trust your judgement, even if sometimes I don’t agree with it.” Sighing, Mario pulled back and swung a leg over the lip of the pipe. “If I have time, I’ll head over to the Yoshis.”

Peach nodded. “I’ll still look for you during lunch,” she said. “If I thought Junior would come alone, I’d tell you not to worry, which is silly…”

“Because I’ll always worry.”

“But you’re right,” she agreed. “Even if he wanted to come alone, his siblings and his caretakers would never let him. Hurry back.”

“We’ll get to the bottom of this.”

“We always do.”

 

* * *

 

Sarasaland was a mixture of lush grassland and desert landscape, however even the desert plains showed some growth of crops. One of the things that actually set Sarasaland apart from the other lands and kingdoms was the fact that it was a land of mostly humans, set against the variety of other residents such as Goombos and the race known as Erlang.

The land itself, much like many other lands and worlds, were split into several different kingdoms – Birabuto in the south, where the sands were as far as one could see, with small pyramids that could be seen across the skyline; Muda to the west, a literal tropical paradise with beaches and waters that held – as some said – a hidden kingdom.

There was Easton to the east, which was a grassy land whose prime attraction were the mysterious stone heads that came up from the ground. Some said these were the heads of previous kings and queens, while some thought they may have been gods that fell from the heavens.

And then there was the Chai Kingdom to the North – the larger kingdom of the world and one that had a number of ancestral architectures that had stood for centuries. These structures were currently standing next to new modern buildings, thus bridging the world of old and new, helping to ensure the economy of both the kingdom and the land itself. Chai Kingdom was the central location for Sarasaland’s government, with King Citron and Princess Daisy as its rulers; technically, Citron was the one that actually ran the kingdom, as Daisy was hardly ever there to actually rule it.

It wasn’t that Daisy didn’t love her home or her father, but from an early age, it was clear that she held no aspirations to be the princess she was or the ruler of anywhere. She was born into this position and it was her duty, as she often heard, but it certainly wasn’t her passion. Her passion – and heart – actually lay in the Mushroom Kingdom, more specifically with a little house that was usually occupied by a plumber in green.

But just because her heart was left in the Mushroom Kingdom, it didn’t mean that she would leave her homeland defenseless when it needed her and right now, both it and her father needed her.

Along with Toad and the babies, Daisy had made her way back to the Chai Kingdom, arriving just as the sun was beginning to set in the sky to the castle she had grown up in. Slightly larger than that of Peach’s, the castle of the Chai family also had several servants that served the family, mostly those of the Erlang. The group was met immediately at the front door by one of these mystical humans, who bowed as Daisy reached the door.

“Princess.”

“Mac,” Daisy greeted, placing a hand on his arm. “What’s going on?”

“I think it best if you talk to your ‘grand dame’,” he replied, with a slight roll of his eyes as he ushered the group inside. “She can tell you more.”

“I see that my absence has done wonders for the two of you getting along.”

“My dear,” Mac said, leading the group to a private chamber room. “The day I get along with that woman is the day I burn the castle down to the ground.”

“Well, I certainly hope it doesn’t come to that,” the princess grinned. Leaning over, she dropped a friendly kiss on his cheek. “It’s always good to see you.”

Mac smiled. “And you,” he whispered. Indicating the open door, he said, “Go on then. Mustn’t keep her waiting.”

“I can hear you out there, Macluroden,” came a voice from that very room.

“The dragon awakes,” whispered the servant before leaving the four to enter into the room.

Standing or rather pacing the middle of the floor was an elder woman, with jet black hair tied into a bun atop her head. Dressed in a rather regal robe, she turned steel grey eyes on the intruders, however they lit up once they saw the princess in yellow walk in. “Daisy Mae,” she sighed, walking over quickly to embrace the princess.

“Vanda,” Daisy replied, returning the hug before pulling back. “I got here as soon as I could.”

“As I knew you would,” the woman called Vanda replied. “You can imagine the kind of rumors that would start if anyone discovers what’s happened.”

“Which is what exactly?” asked Toad, speaking for the first time since leaving Peach’s castle.

Toad hadn’t ever been to Sarasaland and primarily only knew of Daisy from seeing her with Peach and eventually Luigi, however the two got on like gangbusters and had been friends ever since. When Luigi had come to him, asking if he would accompany his girl back home Toad hadn’t batted an eye and had agreed immediately. He didn’t even mind having the babies with them either; he loved the bigger plumbing brothers, so of course hanging out with their younger counterparts wasn’t a problem.

While he hadn’t been on an adventure with the guys in a long time, he was actually going about making a name for himself. Back in the day, his uncle Toadsworth had been training him to take over one day, leaving him to keep an eye on Peach while he kept an eye on Phineas and it would’ve been just a normal appointment if Bowser hadn’t shown his ugly mug. Since then, Toad had gotten a taste of adventure and it wasn’t something he could just give up.

He was okay with being support, however after he stumbled on to Wario’s plot to take over the Mushroom Kingdom one poor forest at a time, Toad had taken all that backseat adventuring and put it to good use. He had stopped Wario’s plan and saved the kingdom. That was how he had gotten noticed for the Toad Brigade and thanks to his heroics against the yellow menace, as well as the way he seemed to naturally take control of a situation, the little Toad had shot up in the ranks, soon becoming the captain of the small group.

The woman known as Vanda shot a suspicious glance at the little Toad, noticing him and the babies who were hanging around the princess. “I don’t believe this to be a subject to discuss with…” she began, but was stopped by Daisy.

“Vanda,” she huffed. “They’re with me. Vanda, Toad, Toadie, Vanda; babies, Vanda, Vanda, Baby Mario and Baby Luigi.”

“Mario?” The lady in waiting asked, glancing at the baby in red. “The same Mario who rescued you from that horrible alien? I remember him being slightly taller and more…adult.”

“No, this is…they’re the baby versions…” the princess tried to explain before just abandoning the process. “Long story, don’t have time. Vanda, what has happened?”

Vanda took a deep breath before resuming her pacing. “Your father was called into a meeting with a mysterious stranger,” she began. “Unfortunately, one of the younger staff was the one that let the scoundrel in. Despite whatever feelings I may have for our majordomo, I certainly don’t believe Macluroden would let some stranger into our household.”

“What did he want?” asked Daisy.

“That, I cannot say,” Vanda said, sadly. “I was only aware of the visitor when someone reported it to Macluroden and by then, well…”

“I guess you didn’t get a look at the guy then,” Toad murmured. Turning to look at Daisy, he whispered, “That’s not good for us.”

“I’ve taken the liberty of asking that junior member to join us tomorrow,” Vanda continued. “I figured you might be tired from your journey…”

“No,” Daisy said, shaking her head. “Let’s do this now. I don’t want to lose any information, especially not because of sleep or lack thereof. Let’s talk to him now.”

Vanda nodded, a slight smile on her face. She had actually anticipated this and had already informed the servant that the princess may want to speak with them upon arrival, however a good lady in waiting always knows her lady and must cover all aspects of service. The matron started to head out, but was stopped by Daisy.

“Have you gotten anything?” she asked. “From the servant, I mean.”

To anyone else, the question might have meant if the servant had said anything on the matter, however Vanda knew the deeper reasoning for the question. As an Erlang, Vanda, Mac, and few of the senior staff all possessed heightened senses, a mystical form of consciousness that allowed for them to explore their perceptions for the environment around them. Citron and his wife, the former Queen Asta, had employed these beings as added help in watching their daughter, who was more likely to be hiding or climbing instead of doing her normal duties.

“He feels guilty, of course,” she replied. “But there’s nothing to suggest he or anyone else was involved. However…”

“However?”

Leaning closer, Vanda whispered, “Something is stirring and about to be awakened.” Pulling back from the cryptic message, Vanda straightened and said, “Come. We will speak later on the matter. For now, let us go speak to Mr. Porter.”

The group began to head out, with Toad quietly asking what the previous conversation was and what it meant. Daisy pushed it off for the moment, on one hand not wanting to hopefully lose the momentum that they seemed to have; the other hand was something she wanted to make clear, to tell Toad in hopeful confidence. It was something she had explained to Luigi, who took it better than she could have hoped. Then again, he had inherited a haunted mansion in which he had to rid the ghosts out of, so he certainly wasn’t a stranger to strange things.

From the private chambers, Vanda lead the others down the hall to the left, passing through a lit hallway that was done in a mix of maroon and dark yellow, highlighting the architecture of the building. A short walk led into the main throne room, with a small landing to the left where two thrones sat side by side; from there, the palace opened up to a grand ballroom, done in yellow with gold trimming. A door off to the side led to another hallway, however this trip was shorter, as Vanda opened the first door they reached.

Inside was the majordomo and a young human servant, probably a teenager, who sat nervously in a chair. The opening of the door startled the servant, causing him to jump and his eyes to grow wide when he saw who was entering.

“Your highness!” he squeaked. “I’m so sorry! If I had known…”

“Calm yourself,” Daisy said, sympathetically. “It wasn’t your fault, but right now, you’re the only person to see this person and you might actually have some idea of where my dad is.”

“Go on, son,” Mac replied, patting the boy on the shoulder. “Tell her what you were telling me.”

“It was early this morning,” he began. “Your father came down for breakfast and was heading to the kitchen, when Chester – one of the gardeners – mentioned he had seen someone coming up to the palace. The Major’s training me and all, so he thought I should see what’s what, you know?

“So I went to lead the visitor in and lead him into the throne room. His highness was just coming in when I led the stranger in. The king said I could go and I started to head out, but…well…I admit I was a bit noisy, so I kinda took my time leaving.”

“Did you hear what they were talking about?” Toad asked. “Do you remember what the guy looked like?”

The young servant shook his head. “I didn’t get too far into the conversation,” he admitted. “Only that the stranger said he and his master were from some distant land, but he didn’t mention a name and that they were looking for information and thought the king knew what they were looking for. That’s when he noticed that I was loitering and sent me out.”

“What about the stranger?” Daisy asked. “Can you…can you tell what he looked like? Sounded like?”

“I didn’t see his face,” the servant said. “He was wearing a dark cloak with a hood, so his face was kinda in shadow. Actually, that was something I noticed – he didn’t seem like, well a man, more like a shadow covered with a cloak. It’s silly, I know, but that’s what I thought. Anyway, I left them and went about my duties and didn’t think anything of it until the Major came to ask about him fifteen minutes later and we discovered he was gone.”

Daisy and Toad looked at each other, curiosity on both of their faces. Who was this mysterious stranger and what kind of information had he been looking for in Sarasaland? And how had her father responded? Was it in the negative and that’s why he was taken? Or was it in the positive and he was taken so these beings could learn more?

Still filled with unanswered questions, Daisy nodded to the servant, dismissing him with a kind but worried smile. “What’re we thinking?” asked the captain.

“That something is rotten in Sarasaland,” the princess muttered. None of this made sense, in fact the mystery was going deeper and brought more questions than answers. It was all so frustrating!

For the babies, it was clear that the situation going on was making Daisy upset and they didn’t want that. Big Weegie had told them to watch over her and they weren’t doing their jobs if they couldn’t help; that’s why Baby Mario turned to his twin and suggested they look around. In their other adventure, when they walked around, they were able to find a whole bunch of stuff, including their older selves. Baby Weegie nodded, walking over to the princess and giving a few tugs on his dress.

“Daisy!”

“Hey sweetie.”

Weegie quickly explained as best as he could what their plan was and hoped that Daisy would allow them to roam around. “You want to go look around?” He nodded. “Okay,” she said, patting him on the head. “But don’t get lost, alright?”

“Yeah!” the baby exclaimed, before throwing his arms around her legs in a hug.

Baby Mario was already running towards the door, crying “Let’sa go!” Both babies hurried through the door and down the hallway.

“Do you think that’s wise?” Vanda asked. “They are babies, after all.”

“They’re baby versions of Mario and Luigi,” Toad defended. “Don’t worry, they’ll stay out of trouble and will do everything to keep us out of it.”

Vanda hummed in disapproval, but said no more.

“Mac? Anything?”

The majordomo shook his head. “His story as he knows is true,” he stated. “There is no lie in his words.”

“This thing keeps going further and further down the rabbit hole,” Toad muttered. “Any kingdoms you guys are at war with?”

“Of course not,” Vanda huffed. “This isn’t the Mushroom Kingdom.”

“Hey!”

“Pull in your claws, Vanda,” Mac chastised.

“Especially considering we’ve got people missing from there, too,” countered Daisy.

“People are missing from the Mushroom Kingdom?” asked the majordomo.

“Isn’t that a daily occurrence for you?”

“Listen, lady,” Toad growled. “One more word from you about our home and…”

“What did you mean?” Daisy asked, turning steel blue eyes on her attendant. “When you told me that something was stirring? You’ve seen something, haven’t you?”

Vanda looked at Daisy before sending a look to the toad captain. “I don’t believe we should be discussing this in front of non-castle residents,” she said. “Especially in front of outsiders.”

“Third eye,” Daisy stated, throwing the statement at Toad. “As Erlang, both Vanda and Mac have the third eye. Quick summary, it’s mystical and they can see and perceive stuff we can’t. There. Now, he’s up to speed. Now tell me what you know!”

Toad was actually taken aback, though more at the whole mystical eye thing and not Daisy’s outburst. Anyone who knew Daisy was used to her blowing her top once in a while.

Vanda seemed as though she wouldn’t budge, but Mac didn’t have the same feelings. Mac had helped raise the princess, along with the king, especially after the death of the queen; Mac and Citron had known each other for years, even before Citron became king and had met Asta. Mac was pretty much partly responsible for ensuring that Daisy, after the events of being kidnapped, would be able to protect herself should rescue be a long ways off.

“I believe I felt it first,” Mac confirmed. “It started a few weeks ago, but it didn’t become strong until recently.” Giving Daisy a hard look, he continued with, “There are forces who do not belong here in this world. And I know they are not here for the good of the kingdom or any kingdom. As to what they want or what they are looking for, I cannot say.”

“Nothing is certain,” the matron replied. “You know that; nothing can ever be certain with the sight.”

“You say others are missing?” Mac asked.

Daisy explained the disappearances they knew so far, going more into depth than she had with Toad, who at that point, only knew that her father was missing. He had heard, of course, about Junior knocking down the castle wall, but he hadn’t known that it was because he thought they had taken his father. The captain was also dismayed to hear about Yoshi, whom he counted as one of his friends.

“Sorry Toadie,” the princess whispered. “Yoshi was something I should’ve told you about, but…”

“It’s cool,” Toad said, sighing. “You had other things on your mind.”

A commotion from outside the door caused the adults to turn, just in time to see the babies run through the door, with another servant running behind them. “I’m sorry, Princess!” puffed the servant, trying to catch her breath.

“Daisy!”

“Daisy!”

“I found them in the throne room and I believe they may have taken something.”

“I knew it,” Vanda sneered. “Princess, I insist that you handle these two ruffians…”

“Everybody shut up!”

Daisy stared down any adult that thought about saying something before she turned and looked down. Both babies stood by her side, looking up at her in excitement. “What’s up, buddy?” she asked Weegie.

The baby in green held up what looked like a shard of a star, perhaps one of the edges, but it definitely looked like a star to the princess as she took it from him. “You and Mario found this in the throne room?” she asked.

“Yeah!”

Daisy looked at the shard closely. “Our mysterious stranger was carrying this shard,” she whispered. “This has got to be a part of something.”

“Probably something he didn’t want to lose,” Toad added.

“That means my dad probably tried to fight him off,” the princess continued.

“What does that tell us?” Vanda asked.

Smirking up at her, Daisy said, “It means my favorite little ruffians here just found a clue.” Turning back to Weegie, she planted a kiss on his cheek. “That’s why I love you.”

“Aww.”

Pulling the baby in red to her, she planted a kiss to his cheek as well. “I love you too, Little Red,” she replied, ruffling his hair through his hat. “You guys are my favorite space and time travelers.”

 

* * *

 

The Waffle Kingdom was a peaceful land, located to the east of the Mushroom Kingdom and high above the seas that flowed around it. It was a place Luigi hadn’t been to in a few years, last seeing it when he had reunited then Princess Éclair with her finance, Prince Chestnut; it was a bit of a letdown, though something he was getting used to the more time they spent in the Mushroom Kingdom.

From the start, he had gotten a crush on Peach before switching to Éclair, attracted to their calm demeanor and of course, overwhelming beauty. Getting over Peach had been difficult, especially when it was clear that she obviously had eyes for his brother, but learning that the fair princess of the Waffle Kingdom was already engaged to someone else had seemed like the final blow because, of course she would be with a handsome adventurer and hero like Chestnut.

And then a few weeks later, he had met Daisy and both of the former princesses disappeared from his heart and thoughts. A little over six months later, the first of his correspondence with Éclair began, with her thanking him again for helping her and announcing that the two had gotten married. She’d ask about him, if he had gone on any other adventures, which he had. That had started a pen pal type of communication, with the two catching up through various letters.

Accompanied by Moshi, the two were able to reach the kingdom within an hour or so, only running into a few difficulties along the way, such as the random Goomba, but it was nothing they couldn’t handle. At this rate, once Luigi discovered what may have happened with Chestnut, he’d be able to reach Ice Land by the end of the afternoon or by early afternoon.

The castle of the current king and queen of the Waffle Kingdom was actually a rather open environment, with their throne room being sat atop their lush gardens, allowing for citizens to gather in mass for any time of special announcements. It was also the perfect setting for meal times, allowing eaters to sit outside and enjoy the various fireworks that their leaders enjoyed putting on for their subjects. As Moshi and Luigi headed through the garden towards the steps of the throne and thus the entrance to the castle, they saw Éclair was standing there waiting for them.

Waving, the princess called, “Luigi!” as she saw them, coming down the steps to greet them properly.

Luigi held out his hands as the princess reached them, grabbing his hands and giving them a welcoming squeeze. “I’m so glad you’ve come.”

“Clair,” he said, smiling at her. Even with a few years between them, Queen Éclair was still as beautiful as he remembered – luxurious blonde hair that settled about her shoulders, big brown eyes that seemed to sparkle, especially when she smiled, and the same sweetness he remembered upon first meeting her. And while she was very lovely, his thoughts were wholeheartedly on Daisy and wondering if she was alright.

The queen led the two to a small table, already set with breakfast munchies. While Luigi waved off the treats, Moshi was more than happy to eat the food on the table and as he did, Luigi and Éclair got down to business. “Clair, what happened? What’s going on here?”

Taking a deep breath, Éclair went through events. It had started the day before, just before lunch, when one of their servants delivered a message to them – a stranger was waiting for Chestnut within the garden and _only_ Chestnut; it made sense. Chestnut had been in charge of his own kingdom before his marriage to Éclair and certainly, there were residents of Waffle who would only want to speak to their beloved princess and queen.

Chestnut had gone out to the gardens and never returned.

Éclair had expected him to return after his business, but when after twenty minutes, she hadn’t heard or seen him, she had one of the servants go and find him only to return when no sign of Chestnut. When he didn’t return by the next hour, she had sent the note to Luigi. The queen’s description seemed to match all of the other stories they had heard – something, rather someone, had lured the missing person away in some rouse, with no clues to as to where they could have gone.

Reassuring the queen, the plumber asked if it would be alright for him and Moshi to take a look around the garden, perhaps their stranger may have left something; she of course agreed. Taking his hand, Éclair gave it a squeeze. “I can’t begin to thank you,” she whispered. “It seems you’re always running to save me from something.”

Shaking his head, Luigi gave her a small smile. “It’s no trouble,” he said. “Besides, you aren’t the only one that has someone missing.”

Startled, the princess asked, “Daisy?”

“No, no, no,” Luigi argued, giving her hand a pat. “Daisy’s fine, but…her father is missing. And so are several others.”

The plumber quickly explained that something similar was happening in the Mushroom Kingdom, however he didn’t mention was missing, not wanting to worry the queen more than she was now. He reassured her again that he would discover what was going on and would once again reunite her with her beloved, receiving a slightly watery smile at his confident statement.

Once she was gone, however, he threw a scared look at Moshi. “There has to be something in this garden,” he said, looking around. “And I’m hoping it’s Chestnut and not this creepy stranger that keeps showing up everywhere. I’ll take the right, you take left? And we’ll meet back in the middle?”

Moshi nodded, understanding what his rider wanted. The garden was very large and it took nearly an hour for the two to even get halfway through it, however it was enough for Moshi to find something that had him calling for Luigi and getting the man in green to rush over. Laying in the grass, near a large hedge, was what looked like a star shard.

Picking it up, Luigi examined it, not seeing anything strange about it. It wasn’t unheard of to find secret treasures hidden throughout the world at large; in many cases, these little secrets were able to help them with their quests, usually filling an important part of solving or helping their dilemma. Could this star piece help them here? Frowning, the younger brother wasn’t sure what the answer to that was, but if could point them in the direction of their mysterious stranger, than he would take it.

Not finding anything else, Luigi and Moshi took their leave from the Waffle Kingdom and making their way to Ice Land. The trip to Ice Land wouldn’t be too difficult, that is if they could find the warp pipe that would take them directly there. If they did, they would still need to actually make their way to the fortress that King Windbag called home and that would actually be the more dangerous journey than just trying to arrive.

Moshi took a casual and easy pace as they traveled along the road, heading out of the Waffle Kingdom proper and making their way through a lush forest. The birds were flying and singing in the trees and the atmosphere seemed perfect for a nice ride. As they rode along, Luigi couldn’t help but think this area would make a perfect place for a picnic, which of course led him back to thinking about Daisy.

Was she having the same problems they were in finding out the true meaning of all this? Had her father been taken by the same person who had apparently taken the others? Or was it as she said, that he had gotten caught up in conversation while away? King Citron was every bit an intimating figure, especially to the man who hoped to be his son-in-law one day. The first time Luigi had met the large man and upon learning who he was, he was literally shaking in his shoes.

The Sarasaland leader was as tall as he was broad, built like a literal brick wall. It was clear to see that Daisy had gotten her father’s eyes and obvious height, but also his no nonsense attitude. He of course wasn’t happy about his daughter dating anyone and certainly not someone who wasn’t even a prince, but the green plumber must have shown the elder man something because they were friendly now, very much so.

The last time he had seen the man was at their last kart race. Daisy had invited her father to come and watch her ‘beat all the other losers’ and to cheer her on; unknown to her, Luigi had also invited the king to the race, wanting to speak to him in private. He wasn’t sure when he would do so, but Luigi had been trying to build up his courage to ask for Daisy’s hand in marriage, but before he did that, he wanted to make sure he had her father’s permission first.

That’s why hearing about his disappearance was so discouraging. Citron was a bear of a man, so how did someone manage to get the jump on him?

Luigi would still be considering these questions had Moshi not stopped suddenly, shaking the Italian out of his thoughts. And the reason was standing before them.

Dressed in a black cloak stood a small figure, head bowed making the hood on its head completely shrouding his face in shadow. “We’ve been waiting for you,” he said.

Gulping, Luigi quickly looked around them, eyes searching for any others who might be hiding in the or around the trees. “Well,” he sputtered. “Can’t say the same about you. I mean, we’ve never even met. Usually I get an introduction before, well…I’m not really sure what this is to be honest.”

The figure gave the two a smile, not that they could see it. “You will get your introduction,” the figure replied. “When we get onboard the ship.”

“I’m afraid that’s not gonna happen, friend,” Luigi said, his voice shaky.

Finally looking up at them, the figure’s eyes glowed intensely. “And I’m afraid that you don’t have a choice.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Daisy's staff are all named after different species of plants, while Mac and Verda are based on the Chinese god Erlang Shen - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erlang_Shen, who was said to have the third eye - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_eye
> 
> Stay Tuned: Mario heads to Kong Isle and discovers a long held secret that might change the lives of both him, Luigi, and the babies.


	6. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mario visits the Kongs and talks to some Kritters before heading back to speak with a brat and a witch. Gadd stumbles on to a far reaching mystery that changes everything Mario knows about his life.

#  **Chapter V**

 

 

 

Kong Island was where the majority of Donkey Kong’s family lived. The archipelago consisted of several islands, with Kong Island in the middle of it all. To the south east was where King K. Rool ruled his minions, while to the north west was DK Summit, formerly DK Pass, one of the tracks they used for their kart races.

On a normal day, the sun usual shined overhead, giving the island its tropical feel even without the banana trees that littered it; on this day however, the earlier sunny day seemed to have gathered clouds. While cloud cover wasn’t unknown in the Mushroom Kingdom, it was highly unusual; there were some lands that would get torrential rainfall, but it was very rare when it crossed into the kingdom proper and its connected territories.

After jumping out of one of the warp barrels that were littered around, Mario took a look around. Despite having several courses here, he hadn’t really spent all that much time on the island, especially considering that he and Donkey Kong weren’t exactly friends. All it took was one brunette and any hope of being friends with the ape had been thrown out the window, but that wasn’t to say that the two were hostile to each other.

They would never be friends, per se, but they respected each other as protectors of their respective homes – Mario, along with Luigi, protecting the princess and her kingdom, Donkey Kong protecting both his banana horde and his family – and they respected each other both on the court and on the race track, even if they could get competitive with each other. His disappearance actually bothered him more than Wario’s and Bowser’s.

DK had shown he could take on a lot before he finally went down, meaning that he had either been surrounded by a larger group than he was used to or he had been caught unawares.

From the island proper, there was hidden path that led directly to the Kong residence and where Mario was to meet Diddy and the other Kongs. The residence was actually split – with the coveted banana horde in a cavern on the bottom level and the residence proper resting on top; the entire structure seemed to have been carved from the trunk of a large tree, if the scheme was right. There were wooden planks nailed between the mouth of the horde to that of the tree top and where Mario began his climb.

The door was already open, letting the cool tropical breeze waft through a house that had a number of people coming and going. There were already four primates within the dwelling, with Diddy immediately hopping up from his position on the rug to greet the plumber. “You actually came!” cried the chimp, grabbing Mario’s arm and dragging him inside.

“If I knew you were coming, I would’ve waited to fix that shower,” Funky Kong joked, winking at the newest arrival.

“I may just check that shower anyway,” the plumber retorted. “I’ve seen your plumbing skills.”

Funky Kong, the monkey with the mostest, was a rather chill type of fellow, preferring to rip the curls of the island’s waves to that of heading off in adventure the way his cousin DK did. In many cases, he often aided his family members through his various items that he had either come across or built; the only time he had wanted to join in the fun was during one of the kart races. While not holding the same thrill as he got when he hung ten, racing was the next best thing and he was excited about participating.

Despite DK’s animosity with Mario, Funky thought he was a pretty cool dude, having no issues getting along with the plumber in red. He thought the other twin was cool too, maybe a little too afraid of his shadow at times, but anyone who could handle those dreaded Boo people (and he’d met King Boo) was tops in his book. And his girlfriend Daisy was a sight alright, both in looks and personality.

Along with Funky was Dixie Kong, Diddy’s girlfriend, who actually reminded Mario a lot of Daisy - that is if the Sarasaland princess had been born a monkey. Actually, the two seemed to get on fine with each other, though they never actively played on the same teams in any of their sporting events. Dixie had insisted on being at this ‘meeting’ because she wasn’t exactly sure that Mario _didn’t_ have anything to do with DK’s disappearance.

Last, but not least, was Cranky Kong, patriarch of the Kongs and DK’s grandfather. For reasons unknown to Mario, Cranky _hated_ both Italian plumbers; they had been nothing but cordial and nice – Luigi more so as Mario could admit that perhaps he _had_ said something with that big mouth of his – but it did nothing to endear them to the older primate.

Mario nodded to both primates, only getting a glare from Cranky as he did so. This wasn’t the day or the mood for this, so the plumber decided to nip it in the bud. “Can we just get this out of the way before we start?” he asked, sending a look to the elder ape. “First and foremost, I had nothing to do with DK’s disappearance, nor does anyone I know have anything to do with it. That includes my brother, my girlfriend, _his_ girlfriend, and anyone else I know who goes in and out of the castle.”

“What about those babies?” asked Dixie. “Can you vouch for them?”

Mario looked at in exasperation. “Are you literally asking me if baby versions of my brother and I are responsible for DK’s disappearance?” he asked. “Is that _really_ what you’re asking me?”

“Cool it, cats,” Funky said, trying to keep the peace. “My main man Mario wouldn’t kidnap and then return to the scene of the crime. That doesn’t make sense. Besides, why would he take our hip cousin?”

“Runs in the family,” Cranky huffed, causing the Italian to turn on him.

“Excuse me!?”

“Like you don’t know,” the elder continued. “You Marios have a lot to answer for!”

Throwing his hands in the air, Mario had to squelched the automatic reaction to scream in frustration and storm off. “I literally and figuratively do not have the time or the patience for this,” he stated. “I got six other people who are missing and a family history that apparently isn’t what I was led to believe, so if you want my help, you’d better just ask it now or I’m leaving.”

“Six others are missing?” Diddy repeated, looking back at the trio. “Who else is missing?”

“Bowser, for one,” Mario said, watching as their eyes got bigger in surprise. Kong Isle may have been off the coast and far from the area of Darkland, but Bowser wasn’t someone who kept a low profile. Even if they hadn’t ever heard of Peach’s constant kidnappings, they would’ve met him during their events.

“Wario, Daisy’s father, a couple of royal leaders in the adjacent kingdoms…” Mario sighed. “DK’s disappearance was just the kick off to something…something weird.”

Dixie looked over at Cranky – the elder primate didn’t like him, but Dixie never had any issues with the plumbing brothers, especially not when they would come over and fix their plumbing. If Donkey Kong had been the only person missing, that would be one thing, but six other people? If the Marios had done something to DK, what was the point of the other six? She could totally see Wario – no one liked that guy – but Princess Daisy’s dad?

Why would they kidnap the brother’s eventual father-in-law?

“Okay,” Dixie replied. “You got me stumped on that one. We may as well show you what happened and where.”

A trio of apes led Mario back outside and down into the cavern where they usually kept their large supply of bananas. They always had a larger than normal supply, even though they could easily just pick the fruit from a tree in the vicinity; however, with K. Rool’s habit of sending minions out to steal said supply, it made sense that they’d want to make sure they had enough provisions should the worse happen.

In normal circumstances, they would have been met with a mountain of bananas, that were overflowing to the point of collapse; today the quartet was met with a group of three Kritters tied together and obviously trying to figure out how to escape. “We caught these guys when we heard a commotion,” Dixie replied, pointing to the group. Turning to look at the prisoners, she demanded, “Tell him what you told us.”

“We ain’t talkin’ till you let us go,” one of them said.

Stepping out front, Mario sized up the apparent leader. “You’ve really picked the wrong person and the wrong day to be giving out sass,” he replied.

“Who’re you?” asked another, glaring at the plumber. “Some short bowling ball or something?”

Narrowing his eyes, Mario pulled out a fire flower from his back pocket, holding and twisting it by the stem. “What’s that?” the third Kritter asked, eyes wide.

Mario had been to several different kingdoms and one thing he learned was that each of these kingdoms usually had different sets of things that would help him go about his journey; he also learned that other kingdoms hadn’t seen some of these magical items.

“This?” Mario asked, holding up the flower. “This is a fire flower. When I touch it, it makes fireballs come from my hands. And believe me when I say that getting hit by one is very painful. I quite enjoy using them on people who don’t answer my questions when asked.”

He let that sink for a minute, seeing the exact moment that each of them realized that even if Mario was lying, they were the prisoners of the Kongs, their arch-nemeses, so they couldn’t exactly hide.

“Now I believe the lady asked you a question.”

“Alright, alright,” replied the first, huffing as he did so. “Like we told these guys, it all started when we tried to get the bananas here…”

The story they told seemed to start out as a normal caper in trying to take bananas from the Kongs, a routine occurrence – they had a large group with them, at least ten strong, and the plan was to grab the bananas, put them in several bags, and take off, with the hope that they would be long gone before the Kongs knew anything was wrong.

While in the midst of grabbing as many bananas as they could hold, they were discovered by Donkey Kong, who immediately began his routine beat down to get his bananas back. And then the story turned interesting – while Donkey Kong and five others were engaged in battle, a mysterious cloaked stranger arrived on the scene, interrupting the fight.

The stranger had given the group a warning about injuring ‘the star vessel’, which they of course ignored. And then the stranger had dispatched six of them with a wave of his hand, throwing them aside and putting some distance between them and DK. DK had taken a bit of a beating, but nothing he couldn’t bounce back from and even though the stranger had given him a hand, the ape still didn’t know who the guy was and when asked, the stranger only stated they would be introduced on the ship.

And that was the last time these three particular Kritters had seen the ape; they had been a part of the six that had been knocked out and when they came to, they were tied up, having obviously been left by their compadres.

Mario nodded before turning and heading out, with the other three falling behind him. “What cha thinkin’, Boss?” asked Funky, once they were out of earshot from the shouting crocs.

“What time did you guys find DK gone?”

“About 30 minutes before I headed over to you,” Diddy replied.

“Funky and I headed over to K. Rool’s,” Dixie supplied. “We offered to give him his lackeys back if he gave us DK. He had no idea what we were talking about.”

“This wasn’t just a random hit,” Mario murmured. “DK was taken around the same time Wario was and I bet you it was around the same time Bowser was taken too.”

“That means there’s more than one guy,” Funky guessed, receiving a nod in response.

“Which means we have a much bigger problem than we originally thought.”

 

* * *

Mario Andolesi was a man of action.

When he saw a wrong, he went head first to right it; when he saw someone in trouble, he would do whatever it took to save them. He was very much a man to was led by his emotions, especially his heart.

His twin brother was almost a complete opposite – Luigi led with his head, though there were times that his emotions could get the better of him.

Many had pointed out his seemingly acts of cowardice, but Mario had always known better – Luigi always thought things out before he made any decision, especially if it was something that was dangerous. That was why he had been reluctant to go out in their early adventures, in a strange world they didn’t belong to and didn’t know anyone in.

That thought alone brought Mario right back to the strangeness he had been feeling a few days ago, ever since their adventures with the Shroobs. It literally was yesterday, where his only problem seemed to be trying to figure out how baby versions of him and his brother fit into their world overall; now, he was dealing with disappearances that didn’t seem to make sense.

Who was this mysterious stranger? And what was the common thread between the people he had taken?

The plumber in red really wished his brother was here. They made a great team and it would’ve been nice to bounce ideas of each other to try and get to the bottom of this. But Luigi _was_ trying to get to the bottom of this by interviewing two of the people affected; Mario was almost certain that his brother’s notes would match the conclusion he had already made.

While warp pipe travel made long distances much easier and much faster, the longer the distance, longer the travel sometimes. From the Kongs to the Mushroom Kingdom only took under twenty minutes, but it was twenty minutes that Mario used to consider the two mysteries he was now involved in. The issues with his past and future were still important, but he had to stubbornly put them aside in order to address these disappearances.

Popping out of the warp pipe in the castle garden, Mario wasn’t surprised to see Toadsworth pacing back and forth before it. “I take it Junior’s here?” he asked, brushing off his pants and making a beeline towards the patio doors.

“And he has that dreadful witch with him,” the English Toad complained.

That threw up immediate red flags and the plumber quickened his pace towards the throne room. Peach was sitting on the small steps that led up to her throne, with an enraptured Junior sitting next to her; the ‘dreadful witch’ as Toadsworth had called her was in actuality the magikoopa Kammy Koopa. Dressed in her regal purple robes, Kammy stood in front of the two, lips twisted in a scowl at the obvious affection the smaller Koopa had for the blonde.

Mario didn’t have many dealings with Kammy, but he knew of her protégé, Kamek, who had been a thorn in their side for quite some time.

“Sorry I’m late,” he announced, walking in and heading straight for the two sitting on the steps. He gave Peach’s shoulder a squeeze as he passed, before taking an imposing stance behind her and sending a glare to Kammy.

“I wondered why it was so quiet,” Kammy said, grinning. “Where’s your ‘fraidy cat?”

“My _brother_ ,” Mario growled. “Is away on business. Lucky for _you_ , you have the pleasure of dealing with _me_.”

“I’m not sure if that’s a promise or a threat.”

“Well, the day’s still young.”

“If the two of you would like to be alone, I’m sure Junior and I would be more than _happy_ to leave,” Peach stated, throwing a look over her shoulder at Mario.

“I’ll behave,” he promised, before sending another look towards Kammy.

Rolling her eyes, Peach turned back to the smaller Koopa next to her. “I’m sorry, Junior,” she said. “You were in the middle of telling me something before we were interrupted. Please continue.”

Giving a trepidatious look at the plumber looming over him, Junior once again returned his attentions to the kind princess. “Well,” he began. “Like I said, I was trying to get away from Iggy and Roy. They literally don’t do anything at home, so I went to get some from the kitchen and that’s when I heard the Koopa Troop say that dad was taken.”

Kammy huffed. “Lazy, worthless miscreants,” she muttered. “I keep telling your father that he needs to get rid of these lesser beings, especially when he has such stellar and spectacular magikoopas all devoted to his great leadership.”

“Oh brother,” Mario grumbled.

“Did they say anything else?” Peach questioned.

Junior thought for a second, before saying, “They said it was a little guy. That’s why I thought you guys might have taken him.”

“It wouldn’t have surprised me,” Kammy said, glaring at Mario.

“Shut it, Kam-zilla,” Mario spat. Turning to the boy, he asked, “Did the troopers mention anything about the figure wearing a cloak?”

“Yeah,” Junior said. “They called it a cape, but that’s like a cloak, right?”

“Did the figure say anything?” the Italian pressed. “Like…something about a ‘star vessel’ or anything like that?”

“Star vessel?” Junior asked. Shaking his head, he said, “If he said anything, those two didn’t know it. I’m not sure if those guys were even _there_ when Dad got taken.” Looking up at Mario, the Koopa prince asked, “Do you who took him, Mr. Mario?”

“I don’t know his identity, yet, but I’m fairly sure he’s the same person who’s behind the other disappearances.”

Junior’s face dropped, terrible thoughts of what could be happening to his dad now tumbling in his mind. Mario couldn’t lie – after DK, Bowser’s abduction was strange and alarming; the Koopa king, like the banana defender, wasn’t so easy to take down and this was Bowser, who was usually never without some sort of armed protection.

Could the same thing have happened in Darkland as it did on Kong Island?  Did this mysterious stranger bring along backup, making sure to subdue the minions around him before using his magic to knock Bowser out before taking him?

As much as he hated to do it, Mario kneeled down and tapped the prince on his shoulder, causing him to look over. “I may not be your father’s biggest fan,” he said. “But I promise I’ll do what I can to find him and bring him home.”

Junior’s eyes lit up, though he did his best not to throw his arms around the plumber’s neck in a hug. Instead, he nodded before standing up. “With dad gone,” he began. “I gotta make sure things are running good before he gets back. Obviously, I don’t think this is a good time to kidnap you again, Mama Peach; too many weird things are going on.”

Peach grinned at the boy. “Good call,” she said. “I think worrying about your father is much more important than kidnapping me.”

“Don’t you worry, your highness,” Kammy sneered. “Lord Bowser will be in good hands while my magikoopas and I go about trying to find our esteemed leader.”

“You don’t have any clues,” Mario countered.

“On the contrary,” the witch retorted. “You’ve told us this is the work of a cloaked individual who happens to be on the small side. I’m sure you’d look decent in a cloak…”

“For the last time, Kammy,” Peach sighed. “We had nothing to do with Bower’s disappearance.”

“And why in the world would we be trying to help find him if we _were_ involved?” questioned Toadsworth.

“Why indeed,” Kammy sniffed. “Well, I suppose for your help, I’ll give you some advice of my own. I’m sure you’ve noticed the clouds, outside? Expect turbulent weather ahead.”

“And how do you know that?” Mario asked.

“Because I’ve seen it,” she replied. “And you might want to look deeper into those star friends of yours and ask them about this ‘star vessel’.”

“You know something.” Mario knew it, had known it and should have expected it.

“Unlike you,” Kammy snarled. “I read. You find a great many things in history if you bother to check. I’ve heard many stories about the stars, though I’ve never heard of a ‘star vessel’. Perhaps you should ask.”

“I’m asking you.”

“And I have answered your question with all I know.”

“I don’t believe that.”

“I don’t care.” Kammy smiled, triumphantly at the red plumber, before placing a hand on Junior’s shoulder. “Come, my lord. As you said, we must prepare you for your duties while your father is away; and I must consult the others so that we can find him in all due diligence.”

The two left and Mario wondered who he felt sorry for more – Junior or the apprentices under Kammy’s watch.

“What do you think she meant?” asked Peach. “About the weather and asking the stars?”

“I’m sure it’s nothing more that hocus pocus poppycock,” Toadsworth tutted.

“No,” Mario whispered. “Kammy’s on to something. The weather has been odd today and I wouldn’t pay any mind if not for everything else going. Besides, did you see the way she looked when I asked about the phrase ‘star vessel’? She knows something, maybe not that exact phrase, but she knows something.”

“Maybe we should speak to the star spirits,” Peach mused. “Kammy seemed to think they would hold the answers to our questions.”

“Did someone mention questions?”

Prof. Gadd strolled in, patting his stomach in appreciation as he did. “Princess, your kitchen staff is just delightful,” he gushed. “I could literally live in your kitchen.”

“The staff seems to think you already do,” Toadsworth huffed.

“You all have questions?”

“Actually, Professor,” Mario began. “Maybe you can help us. We need some information…”

 

* * *

 

The royal library held a good many tomes on the history of the castle, surrounding areas, and the Mushroom Kingdom itself. Some of the lore went back generations, from the very beginnings of what would eventually become the Mushroom Kingdom, to the growing threat of the Koopas and how they were exiled to what would become Darkland. Along with histories were various stories, legends, and myths that had occurred long before those reading had even been born.

It was the library that Prof. Gadd had all but captured after the others told their tale – a mysterious stranger who seemed to be tied to their missing citizens and who had mentioned something called a ‘star vessel’. He had told Toadsworth to leave him to his research and then he began to not read, but build. The history of the kingdoms and surrounding areas would take a normal man years, even longer to get through, and Gadd had a feeling they didn’t have that long to wait. So instead, he began to thinker with something that would help him get the answers needed quicker and easier.

And that was how Elvin Gadd invented the Gadd Third Dimensional Search machine or 3DS. Looking nearly identical to his previous dual scream, the 3DS now incorporated a 3D screen that could give a virtual visual context to what they were reading; it also contained a search engine that, when supplied with information of course, could bring that information to the forefront but just choosing an area of interest.

It had taken nearly two hours to put the thing together and another three to actually scan every single book and text within the library, but when he headed downstairs to the dining room for dinner, he at least had something he could show the others.

During his absence, he learned that they had received an update from Princess Daisy in regards to her father. Sadly, it seemed that their mysterious stranger was once again responsible for another disappearance, but it seemed that the babies had found a star shard in his throne room. The two younger twins finding a star piece only increased the notion that somehow the stars were involved in this and depending on what they could find in the library archives, there was a trip to Star Hill on the docket.

Another troubling event that occurred while Gadd was away was a message from Ice Land. King Windbag, who had sent a letter to Luigi, hadn’t heard from the green plumber. Worried, Peach had sent off a letter to Princess Éclair, who replied that yes, she had spoken to the younger brother, but that he and his Yoshi companion had left hours ago after doing a search in her garden. She also mentioned that the two had also found a star piece and were making their way towards Ice Land after their goodbye.

Mario’s agitation and annoyance were growing by the second.

It was clear that a stranger had attacked and kidnapped several people, for what purpose, they didn’t know. Add to that, two pieces of a star were found in two different areas. Could that be a clue? And then there was Kammy’s cryptic words of warning, both about the weather and statement about speaking to the star spirits on Star Hill didn’t seem coincidental. And now, Luigi had seemingly disappeared, along with Moshi without a word to anyone.

And the strange change in weather wasn’t helping the plumber’s mood any.

The clouds had gone from fluffy white to slightly gray until finally they turned into the black clouds that now littered the sky, threatening to rain down on the towns and cities below. The reason for the strange weather was unknown, though most in Toad Town assumed it coming in from Darkland or perhaps heading south as it passed through. It wasn’t a cause of alarm, at least not yet.

“Tell me you have something,” the plumber muttered, once the professor joined them. Dinner had already been set out, but it was clear Mario wasn’t interested in eating it, his plate unnoticed.

“If by something you meant the latest in book searching,” Gadd began, sitting down and setting his new invention down on the table. “Then the answer to that is yes. But first, I see your chef has done quite the number on dinner.”

“Professor,” Mario huffed. “I’m sure we can discuss this over dinner.”

“My boy,” Gadd replied, sticking his fork into a large piece of carrot. “I have discovered that business is best done on a full stomach. You should eat something.”

“I’m not hungry.”

“Mario,” Peach whispered, placing a hand on his arm. “The professor’s right. You should eat something. I know you haven’t had anything since breakfast this morning.”

Mario could barely hold on to his rising frustration, but he would behave and eat if it meant they could get to the point.

Dinner was tense, only because Mario was refusing to participate in conversation that had nothing to do with that they needed to know. In fact, his annoyance continued to grow as Peach, Toadsworth, and Gadd discovered everything from the weather to the state of the town at the foot of the castle’s path. It was so inane, but his temperament was clear to everyone around him.

Unable to take the mood anymore, Peach declared dinner to be over and led the other three towards a conference room just off from the throne room. “Please Professor,” she started. “Tell us what you’ve discovered.”

“It’s not what I discovered,” the inventor boosted, holding up this new device. “It’s what I invented. Introducing the Gadd Third Dimensional Search machine or 3DS, as I call it.”

“Impressive, Professor,” Toadsworth nodded. “What exactly does it do?”

“And how is it relevant?” Mario hissed.

“Calm yourself, son,” the professor chuckled, disregarding the precarious line he toed with the plumber. “It’s very simple – it would’ve taken us months, years even, to get through every single piece of text that’s up in the library, but with this -” he held up the device. “We can search through every piece of history, legend, prophesy, what have you.”

“Then you can search for the star vessel,” Mario said.

“Already have,” Gadd replied, holding up the 3DS.

Split into two screens, the upper screen holding the advanced graphics that would allow for 3D immersion, while the bottom screen was touch enabled allowing for touch input. The way it worked, in this case, was that the information was entered into the bottom screen and would pop up at the top; if there were images involved, the text would drop to the bottom screen to allow a 3D image to appear.

Currently, there was a long listing for just the entry of ‘star’, listing everything from the actual stars, the star spirits, and the actual power ups that could be found in various areas in the kingdom. “As you can see,” he said, as the others gathered around him. “We’ve got a lot of hits when we start looking at just ‘stars’.”

“What about star vessel?” asked Peach.

“I’ve tried that,” Gadd said, putting in the search with a digital pen. It only took a few minutes before everything related to ‘star vessel’ now appeared. “And as you can see, we can actually get more results, however most of these are the same as…”

“Hold on,” Mario interrupted, leaning in closer to review the results. “Scroll down.” The professor did as asked, scrolling a few lines down before Mario had him stop. “What is that?” he asked, pointing to a prophesy about star children. “What’re star children?”

“That actually made it into the archive?” asked Toadsworth, causing both Peach and Mario to look at him.

“You know something about this?” Peach questioned.

The English Toad seemed to wave it off. “It’s some weird prophesy that appeared around the time you were born,” he said. “Actually, I do remember your parents being upset about it because it seemed to be the reason you had been kidnapped.”

The princess’ mouth literally dropped. “I was kidnapped!? As a baby?”

Toadsworth actually cringed slightly, with a deep red coloring rising on his face. “Well,” he sputtered. “You must remember, your highness, that you were the daughter of the king and queen. It wouldn’t be unheard of for someone to want to…to…well, kidnap you.”

“Listen to this,” Gadd interrupted. “According to this ‘there are seven star children, who are imbued with seven special stars that can give them incredible powers.’ Fascinating.”

“I’m not sure I’m connecting the dots here…” the retainer started, but received a glare from Mario.

“You don’t find this peculiar?” the plumber asked, incredulously. “A strange being is kidnapping people left and right, including my brother in case you’ve forgotten; two star shards have been found at the _last_ place he had he been when taking two of the victims; he’s heard to have requested that ‘the star vessel’ not be harmed in the case of DK; and now, we stumble on some sort of prophesy that speaks of star children? You really don’t see the link here!?”

“Toadsworth, I think you have a lot to explain,” Peach said, looking at her aid. “Because I have no memory of this.”

“Princess, you were just a baby,” the retainer insisted. “You both were!”

Mario looked the Toad in the eye. “Why are you including me in this?”

“I…I wasn’t there, of course,” Toadsworth sputtered. “I was away on a diplomatic errand for your parents, but I had heard about the incident when I returned. The king and queen mentioned that you had been taken, as were Master Mario and Luigi.”

“Are you telling me…” Mario growled. “That I stood out in that garden yesterday, told you about how Yoshi was telling weird tales about falling babies from the sky and you sat there and told me that I was imaging it and now, you’re standing here…”

“Mario,” Peach whispered, placing a hand on his shoulder and holding him back. She knew that he really wanted to hurt the elderly retainer, he easily could and her hand wouldn’t stop him. Turning to face Toadsworth, she stated, “Mario has a point; this is does seem more than just coincidence. You need to tell us all you know.”

“Peach,” Toadsworth implored. “I swear that what I have said _is_ all I know.” Looking at Mario in confusion and sadness, he asked, “Master Mario, you mean to say you really don’t remember your time here? Or that your parents…”

“My parents what?”

Coming to a realization, the retainer straightened and nodded. “Follow me, then.”

Both Mario and Peach followed the Toad out of the throne room, leaving Gadd to follow up on his research. The trio proceeded to go down the hallway that ran underneath the staircase, opening up a gallery of featured portraits that showcased the current and previous protectors of the Mushroom Kingdom.

At the head of the gallery was a portrait of the Andolesi Brothers themselves, both standing proud and smiling outward towards the painter. Peach was of course aware of this gallery, she had commissioned the painting of the brothers herself, however why Toadsworth was leading them down this way, she didn’t know. The journey took them past several portraits, ones that Peach knew before they turned a corner and walked through another hallway that the princess _didn’t_ recognized, despite knowing every part of the castle.

“I’ve never been this far in the castle before,” she whispered to herself, looking at the paintings that hung on either side of the carpeted path. “Toadsworth?”

“As you know,” the retainer said, continuing his odd tour. “These are the portraits of those who have protected our kingdom and your father, the king, the King’s Guard as they were known once. Very few individuals actually end up on these walls.”

“Is there a point to all this?” Mario huffed, his patience thinning and his anger rising. While he was on a tour of the castle, his brother was missing. Did no one but him actually care? He always tried to stand up for Luigi, dismissing the notion that people weren’t aware of who he was, but he seen it; how could he not? And it never sat right with him and it certainly didn’t sit right when he was with people who were supposedly his friends.

“The point, Master Mario, is this.”

The trio stopped finally, in front of two portraits that stood side by side. Peach looked at Toadsworth for an explanation, but only got a shake of his head as an answer; to her left was Mario and upon looking at him, she was shocked to see that his face had gone slack and white, as though he had just seen an actual ghost.

Which was saying something as Mario _had_ literally seen actual ghosts before and they had never rendered him like this.

Looking back at the two portraits, Peach began to study each for any clues she could gleam. The first portrait was of a young woman, human, though at that particular time humans were a fairly common sight; she looked to have long brown hair that was tied into a ponytail, an inviting smile, and the most enchanting blue eyes.

To the woman’s right was a portrait of a young man, dressed in an older style of guard uniform that she remembered from when she was younger. He had a more serious look on his face, as he looked out towards he horizon. His hair was a slightly darker brown, with steel gray eyes that could be fierce when needed. Comically though, his nose seemed to be larger than needed, but it didn’t detract from the thought that he was quite handsome.

The princess wasn’t exactly sure what any of this meant and she had to study the portraits closely before her brain began to put the pieces together. She had seen the woman’s eyes before, in fact, she had stared into them earlier in the night; she had also seen that same smile, though it had been some time since she had.

And the man’s face was familiar too, though she had never met him. No, he resembled someone – a pair of someones - that she knew quite well.

Turning to her left, she watched as Mario took a few steps towards the woman’s portrait, his fingers brushing across the name that was etched in gold –

**AMBROSIA L. ANDOLESI**

Peach’s head whipped back to the portrait of the man, her eyes going to the name plate.

**SIR MARTIN OF PAU**

“I’m terribly sorry, Master Mario,” Toadsworth whispered. “I truly thought you were aware and that perhaps, you may have forgotten, but now…”

“Now you realize that my memories aren’t what they should be,” Mario murmured. “And my past isn’t what I remember.”

His calm and quiet demeanor actually unnerved her and she could tell it did the same to Toadsworth. Mario was hardly ever quiet and the way he seemed to be inwardly seething was causing alarm bells to go off in her head. “And here it is,” he continued, slowly turning his head to glare at them. “And I hate you both.”

“Mario!”

“Please, Master Mario,” Toadsworth pleaded. “The princess had nothing to do this. Obviously she is in the same boat that you are…”

“Oh I’m sure she is,” Mario growled. “And just when were you going to tell me?”

“Mario, I swear I didn’t even know this was down here!”

“You didn’t know?” he asked, chuckling bitterly at her explanation. “You, who have explored every inch of this castle, had no idea that my parents were hanging in your hallway? You, who enjoy the very history of your own kingdom had no clue that members of your father’s royal guard were my mother and father!?”

“If I knew, I would have told you!” Peach exclaimed. “You know I would have!”

Mario had to bite his tongue to keep his next comment from bursting. This was not what he had ever imagined he would find in the halls of a castle that even he had been through and at no time had he come across this area. And in a moment, the answer to his earlier questions seemed to have been answered; or were they? It was clear that not only had his parents been in the Mushroom Kingdom, they had also been in service to the king, Peach’s father.

Everything that Mario had known was now wrong.

Betrayed, that’s how he felt, especially knowing that people he knew – people he loved! – had been behind this obvious elaborate cover-up and conspiracy. Backing away, he kept his eyes on them both, though his main focus was on Peach. How could she? Why did she lie? And if she could lie about this, what else had she lied about?

“Stay away from me.”

“Master Mario…”

The plumber in red didn’t bother to hear the rest, turning and storming down the way they had come, past the staircase and out the door into the night air. It appeared a storm had brewed while they had been inside, but Mario welcomed it, as it matched his mood perfectly. He started walking, knowing for sure that he didn’t want to head home just yet, so he just followed the path away from the castle until he got into town.

No one was on the street thankfully, saving him the trouble of needing to speak to anyone. His mind was in turmoil, swirling in a vortex that felt like one of Luigi’s cyclone pitches; and it hurt even more when he thought about his missing brother. Where was he? Did this stranger have him? And what was the connection with these so-called ‘star children’? Was there even one to be made?

The more he walked, the worse he was starting to feel. Instinctively, he knew Peach had nothing to do with any of this, especially when it was so clear that she was just as surprised as he was at finding that hidden gallery and it was clear that she hadn’t even known the portraits of his parents were even hanging there. He had said some terrible things to her; how could he possibly have said he hated her?

This was the woman he planned to marry, who was going to be the mother of his children someday, of course he didn’t hate her. He loved her!

Wiping a hand across his face, he cleared what was obviously rain water out his eyes, and continued walking. The city of Toad Town was the main city within the kingdom, where most of the commerce and trading took place; it was also where the majority of the citizens lived. There was a mixture of toad style homes, as well as regularly built houses, that were situated around the shopping centers.

Mario avoided the major streets, such as Toad’s Turnpike and the Mushroom Bridge, which led into the downtown area of Mushroom City. His journey took him towards the more residential area of Toad Town, where the majority of the kingdom lived and played.

The rain began to let up, from downpour to sprinkle, but it was still enough to soak through his clothing and he was pretty sure he’d be down with a cold if he didn’t play his cards right and find some shelter. Because he had avoided the major streets, he wasn’t anywhere near his own home, which meant he needed to use the kindness of strangers and the house he stopped in front of seemed well enough.

The house was non-descript, with a red roof that covered a white painted home. Other than the roof, the outside of the dwelling actually matched other Toad homes he had seen – a large front door, with two circular windows on either side of it; two flowerbeds that sat on either side of the front porch, with a variety of different flower colors, whom were all enjoying the rainfall.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, Mario thought the house looked familiar, but he realized that _of course_ the house would like familiar as _all_ the houses always looked the same. Knocking on the door, he hoped someone was still awake or even home when the lights popped on and he heard the shuffling of feet come to the door. The door opened, revealing a man slightly older than Mario himself, with dark brown hair and steel gray eyes that widened at his appearance.

“Mario?” the elder asked, surprised. “What’re you doing here? Are the boys alright?”

It finally clicked as to why this house was familiar – it was the home of babies Mario and Luigi, meaning that at one time, this had been _his_ home as well.

“No,” he stumbled. “I mean, the babies are fine. They’re…they’re with Daisy. Oh. I should’ve…we should’ve…”

“Are _you_ alright?” the man asked, giving the plumber the once over. “Cripes, you’re soaked to the bone! Get in here before you catch your death.”

Grabbing his arm, the elder pulled Mario inside, closing the door behind them and positioning him on the rug at the door. “Stay there,” was the command. “Your mother will have a fit if you track mud in here. I’ll be back with a towel.” Giving him another look, he amended with, “Maybe a couple of towels. Stay here.”

Mario only nodded, dazedly, watching as the man hurried down the hall to a doorway and grabbing a few towels. The sound must have caught the attention of a companion because he could hear the whispered conversation between the two before they left the hallway and came towards him, both holding towels.

“I suppose it was too much to ask that you’d stay out of trouble,” the second person smirked. This was a woman, with brown hair hanging about her shoulders and blue eyes that held some mischievousness about them. Handing him several towels, she continued with, “Dry off and then have a seat. On one of the towels on the couch, of course.”

Again Mario nodded, using the towels to dry his hair, face, and clothes as best as he could. He dutifully removed both his shoes and socks, leaving them by the door, before walking into the living room where _his parents_ were patiently waiting for him. Taking a seat across from them on the second couch, Mario took a hard look at the young couple across from him.

“Taking in the time of night,” the man said. “I take it this isn’t a social call.”

“Is it the boys?” the woman asked, worriedly.

Mario shook his head to both questions. “The babies are fine,” he whispered. “I mean, the last I heard they were fine. They’re with Daisy in Sarasaland.”

“Daisy…” the woman whispered, before a smile graced her face. “Oh! That’s Luigi’s girlfriend, right? I don’t suppose we’ll ever get to see her and that lovely Peach as daughter-in-laws one day?”

“Then you know?”

“About you and Peach?” she asked, surprised. “I’m pretty sure the whole kingdom knows about that.”

“I mean,” Mario stressed. “About us, Luigi and I, being your sons.”

“Of course we would know that,” the elder man, this Sir Martin of Pau, replied. “How could we not?”

“And it didn’t occur to you that maybe Luigi and I would want to know this!?”

“You need to settle down, Mariano…” the woman, Ambrosia Andolesi, said sternly.

“Don’t call me that!”

“I am your mother and I will call you whatever I want,” Ambrosia stated. “And you seem to have forgotten that we aren’t exactly a part of your timeline. In fact, if not for that professor, we’d be in Brooklyn right now.”

Mario looked at them in confusion. “You were gonna visit Brooklyn?” he asked.

The two looked at each other before looking back at their son. “We weren’t going to visit,” Martin replied.

“We’re moving there,” Ambrosia continued. “For good.” Sighing, Ambrosia handed her eldest son a cup of tea. “Have some tea, Mario. We have a lot to discuss.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The portrayal of Mario and Luigi's parents will be based on this wonderful fic by AlgizBlueDragon on DeviantArt - http://algizbluedragon.deviantart.com/gallery/656808/Omnia-Causa-Fiunt?offset=48
> 
> The link is to the third page, which starts this great epic fic.
> 
> You may have also noticed a nod to the original Donkey Kong, as well as the theory that Cranky is the original DK, who battled a guy named Jumpman, who would evidently turn into Mario. Cranky doesn't have this same relationship with Mario, but the story will later go into the Kongs' history with the Andolesis.


	7. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luigi meets his match and discovers where our missing characters are. Bowser's hoping for a new ship, but is thwarted in the end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter takes place on the same day as the previous chapter - so while Mario is visiting with the Kongs, Luigi is doing his thing.
> 
> Chapter starts up immediately from the end of chapter 4.
> 
> **See additional notes at bottom**

#  **Chapter VI**

 

 

 

_“You will get your introduction when we get onboard the ship.”_

_“I’m afraid that’s not gonna happen, friend.”_

_“And I’m afraid that you don’t have a choice.”_

_Luigi had faced off against villains before, though usually in the company of his brother. What he wouldn’t give for Mario’s help at that particular moment. Thankfully, he wasn’t alone – sliding off the back of his Yoshi companion, he patted Moshi on his Mohawk. “Sorry about this buddy,” he whispered. “I wasn’t intending on taking you into a major battle, but here we are. We stick together and we’ll be just fine.”_

_The little Yoshi nodded, gathering his courage the way his rider had._

_“Listen pisan,” the Italian replied, trying one last time to get the stranger to back off. “I don’t want to fight you, so why don’t you go back to whatever ship you came from and my friend and I will be on our way, yeah?”_

_From under the hood of his cloak, the stranger’s smile widened. “I commend you on your bravery,” he said, taking a few steps towards the plumber. “But it’s not needed nor warranted. You **are** coming with me and I have instructions to bring you back unspoiled. Do not make me go against my master in this.”_

_Taking a few steps away, Luigi gulped. “I don’t care what your master says or wants,” he said. “I’m not going with you. Not willingly, at least.”_

_“All the more fun for me then.”_

_Luigi’s mind began to whirl and then it began to think. Inside, he was shaking like a leaf – was this the same stranger who had taken Chestnut and Citron? DK, Bowser, and Wario? Would he be the next victim? And what had happened to the others? The answers seemed to lie with his opponent and if the plumber in green wanted to get those questions answered, he would need to battle and defeat this foe._

_Unlike Mario, who usually had only one or two power ups on him at any given time, Luigi always made sure he had a stash ready at his disposal. He and Mario always seemed to find trouble no matter where they went – parallel world, vacation, visiting a mansion won in a lottery – and maybe it was slight paranoia, but the younger brother liked to be prepared. Overly so._

_Reaching into his back pocket, he managed to touch the fire flower he’d been keeping for such an emergency. The change was instant – he could feel the powerful heat that washed over him, dulled and muted after so many years getting used to the feeling. He didn’t waste any time, throwing out three fireballs towards the stranger, who managed to dodge all but one, however it didn’t seem to faze him._

_Moshi meanwhile had gulped down a small Goomba that seemed to have appeared from nowhere and spit it at the stranger. The cloaked being just batted it away._

_Okay, so the guy was a lot stronger than he looked. No biggie. Certainly, most wouldn’t think anything of the plumbing brothers until they realized they had met their match. Sometimes the simple approach was best. Pivoting, Luigi took a running start, before jumping in the air; the thought to just jump on the stranger’s head was appealing, but the green plumber had something else in mind, namely pounding his fist into this guy’s head._

_The moment seemed to slow down and speed up all at the same time._

_Luigi was in the air; he did a flip as he came down so his fist would connect with the stranger’s head. And then, shadowy arms grabbed his arm and launched him over head. When it was over, Luigi was lying face down in the dirt, trying to figure out what just happened. Hearing a startled cry from behind him, the plumber turned and watched the same shadowy limbs grabbing Moshi and hurling him into the air, pushing the little guy into the branches of the trees around them._

_Picking himself up from the ground, Luigi readied his stance and began to run. Catching a foe from behind usually worked, especially if they weren’t expecting it; however, this being seemed to be expecting it because at the last moment, he turned and released another shadow tentacle, which grabbed Luigi and pounded him into the ground before him. Again, Luigi found his face in the dirt, before he rolled over onto his back._

_Opening his eyes, they widened in surprise when he saw the cloaked figure standing over him. His face was just darkness, black as the night, with two shining red eyes boring into his frightened blue ones…_

Luigi’s eyes opened quickly, before closing again at the harsh light that now surrounded him. He thought he saw the worried face of Moshi, but when he opened them again, this time slowly, the face turned out to be the worried face of Yoshi, that is the Yoshi they had been trying to find. Joining him was the concerned look that was fitted on the face of Donkey Kong.

“Luigi okay!”

“Yoshi?” the plumber asked. “DK? What the heck happened?”

“The same thing that happened to the rest of us,” said a voice behind him.

Angling his head behind him, Luigi spotted both Bowser and Wario in what looked like a cell. Come to think of it, as he looked around his own surroundings, he could see he was sharing a cell with the aforementioned Yoshi and ape; to his right was what looked like a shimming wall of…energy? Electricity, perhaps?

DK helped him stand on his feet, giving the plumber a better look than he had when he was on the floor. They appeared to be in two different cells, with each being separated by another clear wall, which didn’t seem to hinder any conversation between them. In front of them was the telltale design of a dungeon, though instead of stone walls, it was metal, darker than any shade of black Luigi could ever imagine seeing.

That thought brought him back to his opponent, the being that he could only assume had brought him onboard his ship, which apparently was where he was keeping the others. “Where are we?” he asked, looking at his companions. “How did we get here?”

The story came from four different people, but it seemed to be the same for all involved – they were approached by the being they could only assume was their host, there was a fight, but they were no match for the stranger. When it was all said and done, they had woken up just as Luigi had, in these cells with the others.

“This little twerp has some nerve,” Wario was complaining, pacing in his shared cell with the lizard king.

“Oh pipe down!” his companion bellowed. “That’s all we’ve heard since we got here. If you were so big and mighty, you wouldn’t be here in the first place. So hush up!”

“Obviously we can’t handle him by ourselves,” Luigi began, diplomatically. “So we can’t turn on each other; we’re in this together. Anyone have any idea what this guy wants with us?”

“Isn’t it obvious!?” Wario cried. “He’s trying to take our business and cities! He just swooped in like he owned the place. Who knows what he’s doing to my business in Diamond City?”

Throwing the man in yellow an irritated look, Luigi quipped, “I’d be more worried about what _Waluigi_ is doing to your business. On more important matters, I again ask, do we know what this guy wants with us?”

“Yoshi doesn’t know,” the dino replied, shaking his head, followed by an agreement from DK. “But Yoshi thinks he has taken others.”

“He has,” Luigi confirmed. “I know for a fact he’s got King Chestnut and King Citron and some other people. We weren’t sure if these were just random kidnappings or not, which apparently is all these are. There doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to any of this!”

“Whoever he is,” Bowser huffed. “He’s got a lot to answer for. I almost believed he was trying to take over the kingdoms until he brought the little dino and king of the donkey brains up here.”

Luigi put his hand up to stop DK from advancing towards Bowser, though he didn’t think the ape could do anything about it, nor did he think this was the first time the two had been at odds since being here. Before he had the chance to reprimand the others again about staying in this as a unified front, DK seemed to stiffen under his touch, turning his head slightly to look off behind him.

“What?” the plumber asked. He knew the ape’s senses were far more advanced than his and in this unfamiliar place, he was grateful at having the ape with him. DK snorted in response, right before their conversation was interrupted by another mysterious figure, this one however dressed slightly differently than his minion.

He also wore a dark cloak, however this had a high collar instead of a hood, the appearance of a leader or high standing lieutenant. He came in from their left, turning the corner before facing his prisoners. Like the mysterious stranger who abducted them, this being seemed to be made of a billowy shadow essence, but his eyes weren’t the blood red eye of his minion; they were a milky white, perhaps made of the same substance that made up his body.

“So strange,” the being whispered, his voice low and wispy. “That such diversity is shown within the vessels.”

“Who are you?” Luigi asked, taking a few steps forward, his bold approach seemingly coming from a depth he didn’t know he possessed. “And what exactly is your plan here? I think it’s about time we got answers from you…”

“You’re quite spirited,” the being replied, giving Luigi a thoughtful look. “You all are, actually. I’m not sure why that should surprise me, but it does. I apologize for my lack of introduction, as I have been very busy looking for your friends, but I will rectify that right now. My name is Mordrios and you, my friend, are my guests.”

Bowser chuckled. “I’ve treated my prisoners better than you’ve treated us,” he retorted.

“He has,” the green plumber replied, nodding. “And I would know. That still doesn’t tell us why you have us and what we’re doing here.”

“You’re here,” Mordrios replied, taking a few steps closer to the cells. “To help me attain a goal I have sought for a very long time.”

“And what would that be?” Bowser asked. “Let me guess – world domination. Sorry to burst your bubble, bub, but this world already has someone trying to dominate it and that’s me.”

“It’s not just the world I want to dominate,” Mordrios said. “It is the entire universe. And you are the keys to that; there’s only one problem. Two of you are missing. I’ve spent a lot of time searching for you, taking your allies in hopes that they would know where to find you all and yet, I’m still short.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” asked Wario, scratching his head.

“You are star children,” was the reply. “Though I can only assume that your powers have grown now that you’ve all reached adulthood, which can only aid me greatly.”

“Star children!?”

For everyone in the two adjoining cells, star children seemed like something this beast had just made up or something he was grasping that wasn’t actually found in the Mushroom Kingdom or with them. That was the thought, until the lizard king began to laugh.

“Are you kidding me!?” he sputtered in mirth. He even managed to wipe away a tear at his eye. “The bus has already left on that front, buddy. I tried that myself decades ago to no avail, a complete wash.”

“You know what he’s talking about?” Luigi asked.

“Sure, I do,” Bowser shrugged. “Kamek found this old prophesy about seven children that held the powers of the stars or something, but if together they could be used to take over the universe. So we went back in time and tried to kidnap all the babies to get the stars.”

Luigi was stunned. The stories his brother had mentioned only a day ago were true, a confirmation he got when he turned to Yoshi and noticed that he was nodding in agreement with Bowser’s statement.

“Of course you failed,” Mordrios said, oblivious to his capture’s inner struggle. “You cannot harm a star child, if you yourself are that child. And it’s obviously clear that you didn’t bother to investigate further. Yes, star children are able to harness great power, however you are so much more…”

Mordrios reached into his robe and pulled out what looked like a star, but it wasn’t any star the others had ever seen before. It was clear, almost translucent and it didn’t have the familiar eye set that many of the kingdom’s stars did; on top of that, it seemed to be humming. At least, that’s what it felt like to the others.

One moment Luigi was standing in a cell and the next, he was encased in light. Just blinding white light that seemed to rush by him at an incredible speed, before it stopped, leaving him floating in all white void of nothingness. Ahead of him, he thought he could see four other figures far away, though he wasn’t really sure what they were, as they seemed fuzzy and hazy to the eye; Luigi tried to move closer, but couldn’t, as an invisible force seemed to be stopping him from moving forward.

As quick as he had arrived there, he was instantly pulled back to reality, finding himself back in the cell and facing the shadow being.

“What did you do?” Wario asked, his voice a stunned and perhaps scared whisper.

“Shown you the power within you,” Mordrios said, smirking. “But it is only a taste of what you’re capable of, but you need to complete the circle. And I need all seven of you to fulfill my plans.”

“Which you’ve yet to share with us,” the plumber pointed out.

“It’s not just your powers I can use to control this world,” Mordrios explained. “Your power can also unlock the Dark Star.”

“You can’t,” Luigi insisted. “We destroyed the Dark Star.”

“I know all about the destruction of the Dark Star,” the figure replied. “You may have destroyed its shell, but not its essence. And you _will_ help me retrieve it. Now, I ask, where are the other two star children?”

Yoshi, DK, and Wario began to shake their heads. They had no knowledge of ‘star children’ until Mordrios had mentioned it and Bowser had explained. Both Luigi and Bowser also shook their heads, but slower than the others, before sharing a look that went unnoticed by their captor. Only Bowser knew about the star children legend, but he had only known about four of the seven; imagine his surprise when Yoshi and DK were tagged as such.

Luigi also had no idea about this legend, having only heard stories earlier before getting actual confirmation.

However, there was something that both the plumber and lizard king were aware of – they knew who the other two star children were, Bowser by knowledge, Luigi by educated guess.

Their response seemed to irritate their warden, but he only took a breath. “Perhaps you don’t know,” he sighed. “But I will find them and I will bring you all together. You’ll excuse me, I have other duties to attend to. I have been a rather deplorable host; I will have one of my servants bring you food and refreshments. You will be here for a while.”

Nodding to them, Mordrios turned and left the group contemplating his words. “Tell us everything,” Luigi said, turning to look at the Darkland leader. “Tell us all you know about this.”

 

* * *

 

It took another thirty minutes to hear the entire story from Bowser’s point of view.

Mordrios made good on his promise to have food delivered to them – apparently, something he hadn’t thought to do before Luigi’s arrival – signaling to the plumber in green that it was much later than he realized. He was sure his brother must be worried at that point – he was only supposed to be gone for a few hours, maybe the entire day depending on how long his trip to Ice Land would take, but Luigi reckoned he would’ve been back or at least on his way back at this point.

Instead, he was trapped in a cell, on a ship, with four other kidnap victims and who knew who else. Trapped by an obvious madman who was trying to resurrect a destroyed evil by using powers of children possessed by stars. Against all odds, Luigi hoped he would wake up at some point from this crazy nightmare; for now, however, they all sat and ate, while listening to the lizard’s story about his past experience.

He told them how Kamek had stumbled on the star children legend, with the idea that Bowser should go back to the past and find these children. At the time, they had been babies really, with Yoshi adding to the story as he had been told – in route to delivering these star children and other babies, Kamek’s forces had attacked the storks, causing them to drop the babies over Dino Land.

From there, Yoshi explained how the other Yoshis had rushed to find all the babies, unaware of the importance of these children. In the end, adult Bowser was defeated, with he and Kamek returning back to their present timeline and, they had assumed, restoring the past timeline to its normal progression.

But had he?

Luigi had no memory of these events and he knew his brother certainly didn’t either, not with the way he had been so discontented with the arrival of the babies. Somehow, finding out he was some all-powerful being didn’t trump his discovering that the past he had known - had talked about, had _loved_ \- wasn’t true seem to deflate him.

“So who the hell are the other two special kids or whatever?” Wario asked, once Bowser was finished.

“Can’t you figure it out?” Luigi muttered, bitterly. “Who isn’t here with us?”

Wario started to shrug before the answer came to him. Or rather, what he believed the answer was and began to make a comment about it. “Holy smokes! It’s…”

Whatever revelation Wario was about to reveal was quickly covered by the mighty paw of Bowser. “Here’s a new word for you to learn today,” he growled. “It’s called discretion. You should use it to avoid saying things when the walls have eyes and ears everywhere. Get it?” Wario nodded.

“Good.”

Spitting out the after taste of the paw, Wario sputtered, “Why does your hand taste like strawberries!?”

“It’s probably the lotion,” the king replied, throwing a growl towards the others who gave him a look. “I live in a kingdom full of volcanos and lava pits. Moisturizing is important.”

“What do we do now, Luigi?”

Looking at the dino, Luigi gulped. He still wasn’t used to taking the lead on adventures, even if he had done so previously, it was still a new feeling. Both Yoshi and DK were looking to him to try and figure something out, even Bowser had turned his attention to the plumber in green, either eagerly awaiting to hear a plan or waiting to laugh out loud when he heard it.

“Well,” he began, looking around their cell before settling on scrutinizing the means of holding them inside. “First things first, find a way out of here.” He took a few steps towards the force field, he could see that now; from afar, it had looked clear, but up close he could see the blue tint as well as the underlying hum it gave off.

“Don’t touch that,” Wario warned, before chuckling. “Actually, feel free.”

“Whatta mean by that?”

“It’s sparky,” Yoshi said, backing up in fear.

“It’s electrified,” Bowser explained, before jabbing his thumb at his cellmate. “Yellow blueberry here knows that first hand, ramming his head into it at least twice.”

DK made a sly comment, explaining why Wario’s brain was mush. Thankfully, it was only heard by Yoshi, who kept his giggle as quiet as he could.

“Electrified…” Luigi mumbled, looking at the field before glancing at his right hand. Would it be possible…?

A few years ago, he had picked up an exclusive power, reserved for a god and taught to him by a god. The Thunderhand technique had been taught him when he had stumbled upon a globe residing in, what they thought, was an abandoned tomb. On the search for the villains Cackletta and her son Fawful, he and Mario had been thrown down to a beach, after disposing of Popple and a brainwashed Bowser; it was here that they had stumbled onto the tomb of the Thunder and Fire servants.

Both brothers had of course learned a variety of different powers that helped to fight off their foes, but sometimes they weren’t able to continue them, either because of the environment they were in or perhaps because, ultimately, Bowser didn’t normally need to be dealt with in such a way. To be honest, Luigi hadn’t really seen a need to continue using this technique, though he had used off sets of it for special moves.

Would it still work?

There was only one way to find out.

Taking a relaxed stance, Luigi held out his right hand, aiming towards the side of the force field to hopefully mitigate any damage that could bounce back towards them. He thought back on the words the Thunder God told him, how he needed to focus and build up the power before releasing it. And it was still there, he could feel it, tingling through his arm until it began to pool within his palm.

DK, Yoshi, and even Bowser watched in rapt attention as a few sparks came off the plumber’s hand before it turned into a crackling sizzle that seemed to cover his entire right hand. Once it built up to a sizeable ball, Luigi released it, sending out several bolts of lightning that hit the force field, causing it spark out, before falling and leaving an open cell.

“How the hell…!?” Wario whispered, stunned at the very display.

“Huh,” Bowser said, letting his admiration slip through. “Green bean’s got bite.”

“Luigi did it!”

The shocked or happy congratulations brought Luigi out of his own stunned response; he hadn’t thought it would work and was quite surprised when it did. A bewildered, but pleased look appeared on his face, as he followed both Yoshi and DK out in the room proper. Once outside the cell, Luigi was able to see an access panel that controlled the force field doors, allowing him to drop the field for Bowser and Wario’s cell.

Now free from their confinement, the quintet needed to figure out where to go and ultimately, how to get off the ship.

“I think we’re somewhere in the middle of the ship,” Bowser said, getting a better look at their surroundings.

“Aw, how would you know?” Wario complained, also looking around their surroundings, but not for a way out. He had his eyes on something he thought had been shining in the opposite wall and he was convinced it was something valuable.

“Because he has a fleet of ships,” Luigi defended. “If anyone knows the inner workings of a master ship, it would be him.” Turning to look at the Darkland king, he asked, “So do you think Mordrios is topside?”

Bowser nodded. “Most likely,” he said. “If we plan on taking over this ship and getting back home, that’s where we need to head.”

“Yeah,” the plumber murmured, before shaking his head. “But we can’t leave without the others though.”

“Who cares about them?” Wario asked, stomping his way on the path their capturer had gone earlier. “They ain’t up here, so they can just save themselves.”

“We can’t leave them here,” Luigi insisted, giving the heavy set man a withering look.

“Stop trying to be Sir Eats-a-Lot,” the larger man retorted, exclaiming once he thought he found the panel that operated the door. He of course was wrong, as the panel shut quickly, nearly severing Wario’s hand from his arm.

“I say we take the one-armed bandit there and make our way upwards,” Bowser suggested. “If you want a word of advice to get your friends, they might be a level below us. If I had a prize possession, like the princess, I’d keep her away from the riff-raff, like you and your brother.”

Luigi nodded, as that sentiment made sense, even if it was insulting. Whenever they had ever been on one of Bowser’s ships, they were always at the bottom and had to fight their way to the top to reach the king, usually finding the princess along the way. If they were in the middle as Bowser thought, that meant the younger twin would need to make his way down, while the others went up.

“Okay,” he said. “Here’s what we’ll do. You guys make your way to the top, see if you can reach Mordrios. Meanwhile, I’ll head downwards and see if I can find Chestnut, Citron, and the others.”

“Yoshi won’t let Luigi go alone!” the dino exclaimed. His friend had probably gone through a lot to get here and Yoshi wasn’t about to let the plumber in green go in all by himself. DK spoke up, stating he’d also go along, making sure they didn’t get into more trouble than necessary.

“Great,” Bowser huffed. “Leave me with the Yellow Menace. Fine. You three go do your hero quota for the day, while we bust heads to the top.”

“What’re you gonna do once you get there?” asked Luigi.

“Well, first I’m gonna put a little fire under their asses for kidnapping me,” the king growled. “ _I_ kidnap, I don’t get kidnapped. Once they’re out of the way, I’ll put a call into the Koopa Troop; they can make up for letting me get kidnapped by saving me.”

“Are you done talking?” Wario again whined. “Why don’t you put that giant body of yours to use against this door?”

“Why don’t I use your fat body to break down the door?”

“Wasting time,” Luigi sneered. “We can sort out your lover’s quarrel after we’re out of here.” Pointing to the door, he said, “Bowser, do your worst.”

Bowser would address that insult once he had the ship, but for now, the string bean was right – they were wasting time when they should be busting heads and taking names. Taking a running start, Bowser launched his massive body against the door, tearing it off its hinges and startling the small patrol that had been walking the corridors.

They were shadowy figures, but appeared to be solid if Bowser’s swipe was any indication of mass. “Follow me if you losers wanna live.”

And so they did.

 

* * *

 

Bowser felt like he was in his element. Not because he was leading the charge against some little upstart, but because he was causing destruction against a _foe_ who really deserved it. They played follow the leader, bashing and throwing any occupants out of their way, through the hallway to the right until they stopped at another fork in the path.

Bowser knew enough about ships, especially those that were heavily armored and meant to transport, that in most cases, lower decks were to the left and upper decks would head to the right. So he pointed Luigi towards the left, watching as the green plumber led the dino and the ape to where these other ‘guests’ were.

“Hey String Bean,” he called, stopping the group and causing its leader to turn towards him.

“Yeah?”

“Don’t die.”

“I wouldn’t give you the satisfaction.”

With that last retort, the two groups headed towards their destinations. Bowser had to give the younger Mario brother credit, even when he didn’t want to; he had taken out that force field with just a small blast from his hand, something that he didn’t even know the brothers possessed. The timid man even managed to come up with a plan to get them out of there, even asking for _Bowser’s_ input.

If the Darkland king went back in time and told his younger self that he would, on occasion, aid his enemies, he’d not only be laughed out of his castle and ship, but would probably get beaten up for it. But that was essentially what was happening – ever since his castle had gotten captured by that deplorable Smithy and his stupid pirate gang, every so often it seemed that he had to team up with Mario and Luigi to stop some villain from basically doing what it was that _he_ wanted to do.

It was actually quite annoying, to be honest. All of this time, he had spent trying to gain control over the Mushroom Kingdom and get Peach to be his bride, constantly failing against those stupid plumbers and then, to top it off, every few years some idiot thought they could just roll in and take the job _he’d_ been perfecting for _decades_.

Humiliating, was what it was!

There was a part of him that wondered what the heck he was doing. He should be siding with this Mordrios guy, telling him who the other two star babies were, and maybe making a deal where he could take the Mushroom Kingdom for himself. That’s what a _true villain_ would do and that’s what he was, right?

And then…there was that _other_ part of him. That part that strangely and irritatingly sounded like Peach, who would ask if what he was doing was really the right thing to do, blah blah blah. Thankfully, that part only popped up when he had to do something good and nice and…ugh, something like this. And all the other times where he was threatened by some annoying little upstart who tried to take over _his_ kingdom. That was his job!

That’s what helped to fueled his anger, as he and Wario began to take out shadowy figures that walked the corridors or tried to stop them. The deeper they went and the higher they went up, the more imposing these shadow figures got, though it was nothing that Bowser and Wario couldn’t handle. They couldn’t jump on them as they would their other enemies, especially the ones they began meeting the closer they got to the bridge.

But that was fine, as Wario’s earthshake punch managed to scatter any large groups and Bowser never turned down the chance to set someone or something on fire.

Four levels later and Bowser knew they had reached the bridge when they came face to face with their kidnapper. “Hey!” Wario exclaimed, pointing at the figure that stood between them and the bridge proper. “I know you! You’re the guy that man-napped me!”

“And we meet yet again,” the mysterious stranger replied, grinning at them. “I don’t believe I ever officially introduced myself. I’m Mathias, Mordrios’ lieutenant, if you will.”

“Move out of the way, pinky,” Bowser growled. “We have something to tell your boss and you’re kinda standing in our way.”

“I’m afraid I can’t let you do that.”

“Then that’s lucky for us,” Wario smirked. “Cause we ain’t giving you a choice.”

 

* * *

 

The trio of Luigi, Yoshi, and DK headed the opposite way from Bowser and Wario, but weren’t lucky enough to avoid any opposition, despite heading downwards. But as the latter group discovered, the higher they went, the stronger the enemy and more of them; for the former, they got stuck with the easy pickings and that’s literally what it was.

These shadow beings didn’t stand a chance against the three, to the point where Luigi thought that perhaps he _could_ have done this by himself, if this was the reception he was going to get. Even with the groups they came across, they were really no match for the trio – DK’s rolling attack knocked down the enemies like a bunch of bowling pins, while Yoshi’s technique of gobbling up his foes and spitting them back out always came in handy.

Luigi was slightly disheartened to discover that upon capture, all of his power-ups had been taken, however discovering that he still possessed his Thunderhand had been a welcomed reprieve.

Their journey must have been taking them closer to their target because they seemed to be encountering more patrols. It was a stroke of genius for him to suggest they keep one of their foes conscious, questioning him on where the others were.

“Why should I answer anything for you?” the being hissed, his voice wispy even with DK holding him against a corridor wall.

“Because I could easily have my friend here crush your ribs into your chest,” Luigi said, matter of factly. “I’m sure none of us want that.”

The shadow figure glared at them, trying to determine if Luigi was serious and if he was, he wasn’t sure he’d actually go through with it. The foe nearly laughed, until he felt the pressure increase on his chest; while they weren’t built the way this human and companions were, his heart – or rather, both of his hearts – were located in the area the ape’s massive paw currently possessed.

“Continue down the hall,” he said, stubbornly. “There are cells on the right hand side; they are in the fourth door on that side.”

“Excellent,” Luigi replied, smiling. “And just so we don’t get lost, why don’t you escort us there?”

The foe bristled, but ultimately complied, leading the trio the way he indicated, stopping in front of the fourth cell door and even using his key to open the door. Luigi thanked him before DK delivered a downward punch to his head.

“That probably wasn’t necessary,” the plumber muttered, looking at the crumbled, unconscious body before looking back at the ape. “But good call. Last thing we want is for him to tell his buddies we’re down here doing a jailbreak.”

Heading through the door, the three were met with a similar set up they had been in earlier, however it looked as though all of those kidnapped that weren’t star children were placed into one cell. One occupant, hearing the door open and footsteps, alerted the others. A large man stepped forward, his imposing figure intimidating to anyone who didn’t know him, but luckily, Luigi did.

“Luigi?”

“Ron!” the plumber exclaimed, recognizing Daisy’s father. King Citron, or Ron if he liked you, was a man built like a literal brick wall; he was a head taller than both his daughter and Luigi and his strength lie not only in his build, but his personality and diplomatic procedures. Strong as he was fair, Ron had no trouble calming down the others who had been gathered together, with no knowledge of why they had been taken.

“Hold on, I’ll get you out!”

Luigi looked around for the same type of access panel that he had been able to find in their cell, however he couldn’t find one. “Anything?” he asked, his companions, who had also been looking. Both shook their heads, leaving Luigi the only choice he had. Nodding, he said, “Alright, everyone back up. Last thing I want is for anyone to get hurt.”

Taking the same stance he had earlier, Luigi once again charged his thunder power, this time it came to him faster than he had before. It hit the field, breaking it almost instantly and freeing the prisoners, who were in aware of the man in green.

“You boys never cease to amaze me,” Ron chuckled, stepping out of the cell and clapping Luigi on the shoulder, causing him to stumble slightly.

“You alright?”

The King nodded. “A little banged and bruised,” he said. “But nothing too serious. You think I’d let those goons pretty up this face? Daisy would never forgive me.”

“You mean she’d never forgive _me_ ,” Luigi retorted.

“Once again, Master Luigi, you managed to save me from a horrible fate,” King Chestnut replied, shaking the man’s hand.

“I couldn’t have done it alone,” he murmured, blushing from the all the attention. “Yoshi and DK, Bowser and Wario…they helped me to get down here. But the guy who really helped was…”

“Moshi!”

Turning, Luigi was stunned and happily surprised to see the little Yoshi with the Mohawk, who was happily being hugged by Yoshi. “Moshi!” he exclaimed, hurrying to the little guy. “You’re okay! I was worried that maybe…”

The little Yoshi happily garbled, jumping up and down in excitement. “Moshi says he was worried about Luigi,” Yoshi translated. “And that he was taken down here with the others.”

“Excuse me,” one of the occupants asked. He was someone Luigi didn’t recognize or know personally. He was obviously a royal, by the way he was dressed in a blue uniform, with a green hat on his head with a feather in it. “Sir Luigi? You’re Sir Mario’s brother, are you not?” Luigi nodded. “I’m Prince Pine, from the Jewelry Land. Your brother and this Yoshi rescued me a number of years ago, so I am of course in his debt. And now here you are to rescue me, so I am in your debt as well.”

“It was nothing.”

“It is more than nothing,” replied King Haru, the original kidnapping victim. He had been taken nearly a week before the others, having no contact with the rest of the ship until the leader Mordrios had come to him and asked about the star children directly. To be honest, he was fairly sure that it would be Mario that would be rescuing them, though both King Citron and the young prince Tristan from Ice Land had countered that it would be Luigi.

“I can honestly say that we are _all_ in your debt.”

Luigi blushed harder, running a hand over the back of his neck in a nervous gesture.

“We can all serve him cake and pie once we get out of here,” Ron addressed, sending a look to the man in green. “I take it you got an escape route?”

“If by escape route, you mean the way we came,” Luigi quipped. “Then yeah, we do indeed have that. Come on, we don’t have a lot of time. We left Bowser and Wario to take care of getting us home. Which is a statement I never thought I would ever say in my life. Let’s go.”

 

* * *

 

Heading towards the top was much easier than heading downwards, if only because Bowser and Wario had cleaned the halls beforehand. They still encountered a few stray patrols, those that had been summoned when the previous ones hadn’t reported back in, but again, they still didn’t match up to the power of Luigi, DK, and Yoshi, especially now that they had Moshi, Tristan, and Ron to back them up.

Prince Tristan, the only son of Ice Land King Windbag, was currently serving in his king’s guard, having fought in several skirmishes from approaching enemies that were native to the colder climate. He was a capable fighter, which was why his getting caught unawares by these shadow creatures had unnerved him; it was a rookie move to be caught as thus.

Being able to exact revenge was extremely satisfying for him.

Citron had taken up boxing in his youth, a hobby he still practiced on occasion when he didn’t have anything pressing, and his size alone was enough to shake off any group that tried to take him on. Like his daughter, Citron certainly didn’t mind getting his hands dirty when the situation called for it.

Coming up to the hallway that lead to the bridge, the destruction that met them was a slightly disheartening and it caused Luigi’s heart to speed up. If there had been a door to the bridge, it didn’t exist anymore, being blown apart or blasted through; sounds coming from the room indicated there was still a fight going on and that caused a burst of speed for those in front.

As expected, the bridge itself was filled with chaos, though it seemed Mordrios, the leader, had disappeared. Several of his men however were littered around, while the ones still standing were taking their chances with the man in yellow and the fire breathing lizard; they had numbers on their side, being able to blend and disappear like the shadows they were. However, they weren’t expecting company of any means.

“Someone call for a plumber?”

The joke was obviously lost on the shadow creatures, who didn’t know what a plumber was and took a moment to try to figure out the meaning. It was a moment that cost them, because DK didn’t wait to barrel his way past, crashing through the small group that loitered too closely to the door. After that, everything seemed like a blur – Luigi felt like he was a part of one of his cyclone pitches, moving at a pace he couldn’t clock and leaving bodies in his wake.

This, he had to admit, was the fun of these adventures. Not that he enjoyed hurting people, of course he didn’t, but he couldn’t lie – all of the things he could do, the powers he was able to utilize…it was a far cry from the kid that grew up in Brooklyn.

Certainly, learning what he had – that was apparently one of seven ‘star children’ that seemed to encompass unparalleled power – he couldn’t help but wonder if that was why they could do these things. Despite being on both the track and basketball teams, Luigi had never been able to power any of his moves with fire flowers or electricity coming from his hands or being able to leap even higher than he normally could.

Was that the nature of being a star child?

Before long, the battle looked to be over, with Wario taking care of those who thought to escape. “Finally!” Bowser huffed, making his way to the ship’s controls and figuring out how to get in contact with his own keep. It was trial and error, but he was finally able to make sense of the strange dials and access panel, hitting the frequency he needed to contact his own keep.

“Who dares to speak!?” replied the voice on the other side. “How dare you use this line? Do you have any idea whose communication line you’re using? This is…”

“Shut your cakehole, Kamek!” Bowser shouted, recognizing the voice as his magical advisor. “By the way, thanks for just standing around while I was being abducted, that was helpful. Now listen to me and listen to me good – I’m going to give you the coordinates of the ship that I was taken on and I would like you to very much send some assistance so we can shoot these idiots down! Preferably without me here! Now do you think you can do that?”

“Yes, your vileness!” Kamek replied, snapping to attention once the familiar voice of his leader came across the speakers. “I will send out our troops immediately to rescue you!”

“And step on it!”

If there was ever a time the Koopa Troop was on the ball, it was now. Within ten minutes, it seemed like the whole fleet of the Koopas were hovering around their confiscated ship, though it could have also been the fact that Bowser had maneuvered the ship towards Darkland, which for many was the last place they wanted to go.

Luigi himself wasn’t idle – once he familiarized himself with the controls, he immediately began looking through the ship’s database to see if he could find out more about these star children. All of the captives confirmed that the lieutenant – Mathias – had come to them and asked about the star children legend, but none of them had any idea what he was talking about. Luigi, while concerned about the legend itself, was more intrigued as to why the others had been taken, as though Mordrios had just opened a net and threw it out, hoping to catch fish, regardless of type.

Haru had once been set to marry Peach, something Luigi hadn’t ever known. Apparently, it was going to be an arranged marriage, something that was common among the ruling families in all of the kingdoms, however the arrival of the twin brothers had changed all that and the arrangement had been voided. They were still in contact however and it seemed, so was Prince Pine; his family and Peach’s had been long time allies and friends.

How was it that Mordrios was able to find two of Peach’s correspondences, but yet didn’t know that she was a star child, assuming of course that she was. Luigi had just guessed at the identities of the last two of these star children; it made since that if he was one, certainly Mario was too and if Yoshi’s story was to be believed, the Yoshis had rescued the lot of them, including Peach.

Moreover, how did Mordrios know about Yoshi and DK? Bowser? Wario?

How did Mordrios even know where to find _him_? It did almost seem as though Mathias had been waiting for him and Moshi to arrive, but how?

And why kidnap Citron and Tristan? Was it because they knew him? He didn’t know Tristan well, but he knew his father, but they hadn’t talked in a while, at least a month.

Could Mordrios have been at their last kart race? That had been the working theory, until they learned about Pine and Chestnut. Was Peach even aware that her former fiancée had been taken? Rifling through their database, the plumber in green tried to learn as much as he could, or at least as much as he could find, about what Mordrios and company knew about these star children. It seemed as though Mordrios had accumulated as much history about the universe as Luigi could imagine.

In their banks were histories about worlds and universes he hadn’t even heard of, though he hadn’t heard of the Mushroom Kingdom until he and Mario landed in it. The shadow leader seemed to be a real history buff, cramming things like legends and prophesies from all of these different worlds and while Luigi found them all to be interesting, it appeared Mordrios’ interest was in the legend of the stars.

According to legend, during the time of the dark star being discovered and thus banished beneath the lands of the kingdom, the star children legend also seemed to come about. Apparently, the star sprites had these seven stars that were powerful, but when they were being threatened by the dark star, they sent them out, searching for pure souls that would house them.

And what could be purer than a baby?

Luigi couldn’t find anything about _why_ these babies had been chosen or how the stars picked these particular seven babies – who knew that Wario had been pure at heart at one time? – but if Mordrios was going around and asking about it, that meant he was just as clueless to the answers as they were. Or perhaps he didn’t care; his goal was to bring about the dark star and the only way to do that was apparently with these star children.

And when Luigi looked deeper, he thought he discovered the method to do so. There was something called an Illumani Star that acted like a bridgeway between two extreme powers; it was thought to be dangerous from whatever planet or region Mordrios had found it and it was said to have been banished. But it never said _where_ it was banished to or what happened to it.

And that’s what worried Luigi the most.

 

* * *

 

Being escorted back to the Mushroom Kingdom by the Koopa Troop was a new one in his book and if Luigi ever published a novel, there was definitely going to be a chapter about it. It would probably start with how he had to make Bowser travel to the castle in the first place, seeing as he was more than happy to take his newly acquired ship and chase down Mordrios, Mathias, and all of their minions.

Obviously that was a bad idea and it took an enormous amount of time to convince the Darkland leader to cut his losses with the ship, get everyone off, and safely back to the Mushroom Kingdom. Bowser wasn’t about to be a ‘damn taxi’ for anyone but himself – and that included Wario – but he did finally concede to getting everyone to Peach’s castle, but only if he could get a few hits on Mario the next time they came to rescue the princess.

Knowing that his brother would no doubt be okay, Luigi agreed, making a mental note to remind himself to tell his twin that at some point; and he did owe Bowser after all. They wouldn’t have been able to capture the ship without the two of them taking out the majority of the bridge crew, even if the leader and his number two man had flown the coop. There was also the matter of the history Mordrios seemed to be collecting and Luigi was hard pressed to let that fall into the hands of anyone else, especially Bowser. While he didn’t think the villain savvy enough to try any or everything in the data banks, learning that Bowser had tried to do so once didn’t settle well with him and if he could have destroyed the information without a confrontation, he would have.

But being able to talk Bowser, and even Kamek, out of taking the ship actually worked well in his favor. He didn’t think the leader would even listen to him, but Bowser relented, stating that after everything, the plumber in green could have easily left him in that cell, having to endure whatever tortures by their capturer or worse, spend any more time with Wario, but instead he had let him out.

And he did promise the lizard he could beat up his brother (which he would totally tell Mario about, as soon as he saw him. Or after he told his tale. Or sometime before they had to rescue Peach, for sure).

Flying back was a smooth and easy trip, one Bowser handled himself. Standing at the helm of his ship, he knew every route in and out of the Mushroom Kingdom, especially if it was one that led to Peach’s castle. He was still stung that he’d allowed himself to get talked into being some sort of taxi service, but on one hand, it would put him on Peach’s good list for a few days. Smart villains gave up on worthless pursuits or dropped plans that did more harm than good, but not Bowser.

Kidnapping Peach was more than just trying to capture her kingdom and ultimately marry her. To be fair, they had _almost_ been married, even if it was a trick by some _other_ villain who thought they could just charge in and change the status quo; no, at this point, it was habit, routine. Something to pick up a dull Wednesday afternoon. And he would never say it out loud, to anyone, but those annoying brothers kept him on his toes and proved to be a sufficient way of keeping his troop in line.

He hated them, but he respected them too and he hated to admit it.

They were worthy adversaries. His previous kidnappings had lasted much longer, before those in the king’s guard were able to rescue the princess and once he put in the many barriers to reaching her and keeping her stashed in his castle put off a lot of them. But not Mario or Luigi. For two outsiders, they had more heart and determination that every single person charged with watching over Peach and they weren’t push overs either.

Take Luigi – yeah, he could scare easily, but he had always faced up to what he needed to do. Bowser had seen plenty of battles, when he and his father had battled the other lands, and even the bravest men had fear when marching into a battle. Those were the men that thought and planned, who came up with strategies that defeated their enemy but spared their army. Luigi could probably wait him out if he had to, knowing it would slow drive him insane.

Mario, on the other hand, was the wild card. Oh sure, both brothers could be predictable – he could set his watch by the time they would show up to beat him - but if the plumber in red was faced with a loved one getting hurt, he would stop at nothing to prevent it. No matter _who_ he had to go through. Those were the more dangerous men, the loose cannons, who feared nothing but the harm to their family and friends; if they were to go out, they would take the whole company with them.

Bowser had underestimated them the first few times they battled, but now he knew not to do so. Of course he never told his new recruits that, as he sat back and watched the plumbers stomp them into oblivion. They were trained not to take the brothers lightly; it wasn’t his fault if they didn’t listen.

The familiar outline of the castle came into view, indicating that it was still within the morning hours, meaning that another day had passed for those who had already been in captivity. Bowser felt his crew couldn’t screw up in the few meters it would take to reach the front steps. “Nice and easy, boys,” he directed, crossing his meaty arms across his chest. “Let’s not scare them. Too much anyways.”

“Peach will kill you if you cause a panic.”

“A little flyby never hurt anyone,” he groused, sending a look to the taller man that appeared at his side.

“What will you do after this?” Luigi asked.

“Well,” Bowser huffed. “If everything had gone to plan, I’d be playing with a shiny new ship, but _someone_ made me dump it.”

“You already have attention,” the plumber countered. “Why grab more of it? Especially when we don’t know where he took off to. I hardly doubt he got spooked and ran away.”

Bowser grunted, but didn’t respond. He knew Luigi was correct though; blaggards like Mordrios didn’t just run away and call it a day. No, they thought about their defeat and came back stronger than ever. “Not like he can do anything anyways,” he muttered. “Not without all seven of us.”

“Yeah,” Luigi agreed. “But it won’t take him long to figure it out. Aside from the five of us, I think he caught the others because they have close ties to us; I’m actually surprised he managed to miss the other two, but I’m not counting him out.”

“Me either.”

Approaching the castle front steps, it was clear their little ‘fly by’ still managed to get the people in the town below talking because Mario, Peach, Daisy, and the Toad Brigade were already waiting, figuring that either Junior had turned back on his promise or Bowser had somehow escaped. “And because I’m such a nice guy,” Bowser replied. “I even got you door to door service.” Turning to the plumber he smiled widely.

“Now get out.”

“A pleasure, as always,” Luigi retorted, tipping his cap before walking around the captain and gathering the others.

“Do give my regards to that wonderful brother of yours.”

“I always do.”

Luigi was the last one of the ship, walking down the gang plank to observe that everyone was able to get off the ship safely. Peach was speaking with both Pine and Haru, while Toad was speaking with Yoshi and Moshi. He turned his head to look for DK, but he suddenly found himself being engulfed in someone’s arms before being kissed fiercely.

“You’re back.”

“So are you,” he whispered, staring in to the bright blue eyes of his girlfriend. “And as promised, not a scratch. Not even a bruise.”

“Yeah, well…” she giggled, giving him a seductive look. “We’ll see about that. I’m planning on giving you a _full_ examination later.”

Before he could begin to answer that, with something along of lines of ‘when?’ or ‘perhaps right now’, he again felt two more bodies slam in him, but this time they were at his knee level.

“Weegie!”

“Weegie back!”

“Hey, it’s my patatinos,” the Italian greeted, ruffling Weegie’s hair through his cap. “You guys okay?”

Both babies nodded, happily, before trying to tell him at once what had happened and how they had protected Daisy in the night from monsters, and everything else.”

“Okay bambinos,” he chuckled. “Let me make sure everyone is here and okay, then you can tell me all about it. Thanks for keeping my girl safe, by the way.”

“’Tecteded!” Mario announced, proudly, as he brother nodded before hugging Daisy.

“Yes they did,” Daisy whispered, smiling down at both. “Best time traveling detectives I know.”

“Do you know a lot of time traveling detectives?”

“You’d be surprised,” the princess chuckled, before giving him a wink. “Maybe I’ll tell you more during your exam later.”

“I look forward to it,” he whispered, delivering a kiss to her lips.

Letting her go with a promise to see her later, Luigi made his way towards his brother, who had been greeted by Yoshi and DK, but had thankfully avoided Wario.

Mario couldn’t lie – while having Yoshi, DK, and Bowser disappear had been curious and troubling, not knowing where his brother was for a day scared him. Yes, Luigi was perfectly capable of taking care of himself, but Luigi was still his kid brother, even if they were only separated by a measly three minutes.

Seeing his brother in the midst of several dignitaries and friends was a grateful sight and Mario would’ve immediately gone to him, if Daisy and the babies hadn’t gotten to him first. That had been a painful conversation – Daisy’s surprise arrival had meant informing her and his own parents that Luigi was among the missing; it also reminded and confirmed why he and Daisy would’ve made a _horrible_ couple.

They had both lashed out at each other, though luckily they had made up just in time to hear the familiar engines of an air ship coming overhead. Mario appreciated the desert princess’ no nonsense and matter of fact, direct approach to things; that is, when they weren’t directed at _him_. No one could really tell him off quite like Daisy and vice versa sometimes. They were too much a like – too hotheaded and stubborn for their own good – and Mario had wondered on occasion what would have happened if he and Luigi had a sister or if his twin had been the hurricane that was Daisy Chai.

With any luck, his earlier sentiment to her would come true at some point, even if it was just by marriage.

Meeting his brother halfway, the eldest clapped him affectionately on the back of the neck. “You’re late.”

Smiling in response, Luigi only shrugged. “Sorry bro,” he said. “I got a little lost.”

Smirking, the elder brother gave the youngest a once over before asking, “Alright?”

“Yeah,” Luigi nodded. “And if you don’t believe me, Daisy’s all set to examine me herself.”

Mario couldn’t help but laugh. Luigi and Daisy were probably the worse couple ever when it came to trying to keep their relationship a secret; he’d once remarked that the two were “ _fare l’amore con i loro occhi”_ or making love every time they laid eyes on each other. His brother had countered that they were just very passionate about each other, which made the elder smirk.

He just bet they were, if the sounds coming from their shared bedroom one time was any indication.

“And I’m sure you weren’t too upset by that.”

Luigi had a ready answer for that, however he caught sight of something, or rather a couple of _someones_ from over his brother’s shoulder. “What’re they doing here?” he asked, bewildered. While he obviously knew the babies’ parents lived within the Mushroom Kingdom, like Mario he had pretty much avoided seeing or interacting with them.

Casting a look at that same shoulder, Mario sighed before turning back to Luigi. “Couple of things happened while you were gone,” he began. “And we have a lot to discuss.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I changed things a bit with Yoshi - it dawned on me that there could be no way he was able to rescue Mario and Luigi (and the other star children) if he's a star child himself, so from here on out, the Yoshis as a species rescued the babies and Yoshi (the character) is aware of it.
> 
> I also got a little dig at people who think Mario and Daisy make a good couple, to which I ask why? How do you figure?
> 
> And 'patatinos' is Italian for 'little potatoes'. It's a term of endearment, especially for small children.
> 
> Stay tuned for the next chapter - we're going back into the past of one Ambrosia Andolesi and Sir Martin of Pau. How did they meet, what is their connection to the Mushroom Kingdom and thus the Toadstools, and how do Mario and Luigi (and Peach) not remember any of their time together.


	8. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flashback: In a new land, Lucien and Francesca Andolesini settle into a new life and start a family. Years later, their daughter Amy finds herself in a new, magical land with strange creatures and an intriguing royal guard.
> 
> This is the story of how Amy Andolesi met Sir Martin of Pau in the land known as the Mushroom Kingdom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not gonna lie, this is a marathon. There isn't much about Mario and Luigi's parents, so I started making a storyline for them and literally could not stop; I had to remove stuff and it's still long. Don't worry - there's probably gonna be deleted scenes or maybe a sequel that just discusses the two of them.
> 
> I also messed up a bit - I had already written the Andolesis' home borough in Brooklyn before I realized that in the show, their plumbing business was in Flatbush. I was going to mention a possible move, but again, chapter got long.
> 
> There's also a lot of Italian in here, so translations will be at the end of the chapter. I don't speak the language, so a lot of help came in the form of Google Translate, so if anyone sees any errors, please let me know!

#  **Chapter VII**

 

 

 

**_Brooklyn, NY_ **

 

_Brooklyn, New York was one of the cornerstones to American life. For many coming from the old countries in Europe, the United States was a land of new opportunity, a new start. For Lucien and Francesca Andolesini, this trip would start their new married life; they had both come from small villages in Sicily, meeting each other one day at the market. For Lucien, it had been love at first sight, but for Francesca, that had not been the case. Yes, she found him very handsome – dark hair and stunning blue eyes – but she wasn’t looking for love._

_Which of course is how love always happens._

_By the time Lucien had become a young man, he had grown tired of village life and he wanted to learn something new, do something new, but he knew whatever plans he had did not lie in his little village. There was talk of the new world of America, where people could find their fortunes and have a better life than the small confines of a small town. That’s where he wanted to go._

_And he wanted Francesca to join him._

_The newlyweds arrived at the famed Ellis Island in the spring, seeing the great Statue of Liberty as their ship entered the New York Bay. It was a relatively scary time – neither of them spoke English and they were in a new land, with people who may or may not welcome them. The couple found a home however, within the city of Brooklyn, in the popular borough of Carroll Gardens. Carroll Gardens, along with nearby Cobble Hill, were full of Italians just like them and they were able to find a place in a thriving community._

_They were able to earn enough English to get by, with Lucien taking a job with a machinery, along with some of the others in the neighborhood. Francesca decided to learn more about this new land and its language; she always did enjoy learning back in the village and it was a trait she continued in her new home. A year after arriving in Carroll Gardens, Francesca made the happy announcement that she was pregnant with their first child. Knowing he would need to provide for his family, Lucien continued with the machinery, but picked up some of the odd jobs around the building._

_One day, the pipes behind one of the offices burst and a plumber had to be called. While fully capable, the plumber usually had an assistant, but he was out sick. Without the extra hand, the job would take most of the day and not the few short hours normally advertised; not wanting to spend that kind of cash or money, Lucien had been volunteered to help. This plumber – Derry_ _ÓRaghallaigh – was also an immigrant to New York, but from the country of Ireland and it was a known fact that, in the borough of Carroll Gardens, the Irish and the Italians were not on the best of terms._

_To say that these two were going to enjoy working together was a fail on a pop quiz._

_However, something strange happened that day. With very little English between them - or at least as much as Derry knew, which was more than Lucien – the two were actually able to not only fix the pipe, but did so at a much faster pace than either thought would happen. And weirdly, they got along well too – both were from afar, both were new to the land, and both were trying their best to make ends meet to put food on the table for their families. Derry had two young sons, while Lucien shared with him the news of his impending fatherhood._

_Odder still, the two actually lived in the same neighborhood of Carroll Gardens, literally within a block of each other._

_And they had both entered the country through Ellis Island, getting stopped for their odd names before the port authority made them more ‘American’. Both had even refused to get names like ‘Andol’ or ‘Denny Oral’; they loved their names and their cultures, even if they had to live in a new world. So…the Andolesinis became the Andolesis, while the ÓRaghallaighs became the O’Reillys._

_On that day, impressed by the work, Derry O’Reilly offered Lucien Andolesi a job._

* * *

 

_In a blink of an eye, twenty-eight years had gone by in the life of one Lucien Andolesi. From a kid in the sticks in Italy to a successful businessman in New York, it felt as though his life was a dream. Twenty-seven years ago, he had met a strange, red-haired man at his job and the next thing he knew, he had changed his career from machinist to plumber._

_Meeting Derry O’Reilly had been a fortunate turn of events, not just in finding something that he not only enjoyed and could use to provide for his growing family, but he had met his best friend that day. Their friendship had turned heads of course - an Irishman and Italian sitting around joking and laughing was a strange sight in Carroll Gardens - but they didn’t care._

_He and Derry had continued working for Duluth Plumbing until the two decided to find their fortunes in other pastures. Derry didn’t want to be a plumber, but Lucky – as Derry nicknamed him – did. By another fortunate circumstance, Duluth Plumbing went up for sale and the seller wanted to have at least someone knowledgeable in the company or else it would go down for good. Lucien jumped at the chance, however both he and Derry were shrewd about the deal._

_Firstly, the name would be changed to Andolesi Plumbing and Lucien wanted to start the business from scratch. Second, they would keep the building, however new equipment would be purchased to ensure that their plumbing business gave the best job to their customers, something Duluth never strived to do. And thirdly, they were also taking any customer who wanted to stay with them. Sadly, only a few did, including a Gertrude Rolinski, who always requested Lucien or Derry as she liked them the best._

_There was a fourth stipulation, but it was only for Derry’s ears. The Italian immigrant knew his friend didn’t want to be a plumber, however he would be lost without a job, so Lucien offered him one until he found what he wanted to do. It was the best way he could repay him for helping him all those years ago. That wasn’t the only time the Irishman had helped him out – when Francesca had gone into labor, Derry and his wife Sarah were thankfully there to drive her to the hospital while he struggled to fix a client’s toilet._

_Since their initial meeting, Derry, Sarah, and their sons Rory and Fallon had been constant visitors in the little apartment they had, until Lucien had to move to a small little house due to his growing family. Their first son Mateo – or Matty as everyone knew him - had just turned twenty-seven, a college graduate who wanted to go into business, like his father, but not in plumbing. That was fine, to each their own, as he said, as long as his boy was happy._

_Their second son, Giovanni – called Johnny by family and friends – was three years younger than his older brother and enjoyed plumbing as an excuse to work with his hands, but like Matty, didn’t feel plumbing was exactly his calling. He helped his father out in the business, of course, but it wasn’t going to be falling into his hands once he was older._

_And then there was Ambrosia, the only daughter and the youngest. Amy had been coined by her godfather Derry and was something she liked better than overly long ‘Ambrosia’. Like her brothers before her, she had inherited her parents’ good looks, their mother’s lighter shade of brown hair, and their parents’ combined stubbornness._

_Unlike her brothers, Amy inherited her father’s blue eyes that always seemed to hold a streak of mischievousness. Also unlike her brothers, the youngest **did** enjoy her father’s plumbing business; it was probably the one thing she could do that her mother wouldn’t totally chastise her for._

_Amy was every bit the tomboy, from getting her dresses dirty to never shying away from a fight. She never wanted to partake in tea parties and she was always the first to volunteer when it came to outdoing the boys; she was a spitfire and as Derry always said, “Lord help the man she marries.”_

_Lucien couldn’t lie - he hoped that man would be Fallon O’Reilly._

_The two had been close at one point and had even dated for a time, stroking the flames that perhaps the twenty plus friendship would become a family affair; it would eventually, though not with Fallon and Amy, but Matty and Derry’s niece, Breanne. He knew Francesca worried that no man in their right mind would marry their daughter, not that she didn’t think Amy of marriageable means, just that she could try the patience of even a saint._

_Amy was definitely a handful – boisterous, outspoken, energetic; her mother cursed her with having a child that would act just the way she did one day, just to prove how much of a pain she could be. The girl would deliver a kiss to her mother’s cheek, saying, “Aw Ma, that’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me!” before running off to cause more mischief. She was a clever girl, imaginative and creative, and her ability to sit for hours to work out some problem always astounded them; sometimes she was an enigma and a mystery rolled in one._

_If there was one thing Amy wanted, much like her father before her, it was adventure beyond the world she knew. An avid reader, Amy would imagine what other worlds were like; her family had gone back to Italy a few times, in order to see her Italian aunts and uncles, nieces and nephews, and grandparents and while exciting, it had been just a taste of what the world could hold._

_But Amy had always felt there was something more, always more, to be seen._

* * *

 

_“Amy! Ambrosia!” Lucien shouted, looking around for his daughter. “Where is that girl?”_

_It was Thursday morning and already, both Amy and Johnny had been called out to two different homes. Recent storms seemed to have rained down issues on the pipes of New York; Manhattan had already called out their department of sewer and waste to investigate a busted pipe that had knocked out the plumbing in three neighborhoods. There were times Lucien wished for a big job like that, but Andolesi Plumbing was a small endeavor; even though he’d had all three of his children and even Derry’s work there, they were still small, but wildly popular._

_With the extra hands, Lucien had been able to move from being the lead plumber to that of business manager, directing the calls and requests to Johnny, Amy, and Rory O’Reilly. Another boy from their current neighborhood, Mike Sullivan, worked part time while he was in school, but had given Lucien notice this summer would be his last, as he would be heading to college out of state. Johnny had also stated he planned to stay for another year before he would do something else with his life._

_He didn’t know what, but just something different. That would leave Amy and Rory and Lucien had been giving some deep thought on how he wanted his current staff to be run and who he wanted to run it. That is, if he could find the girl._

_“Ambrosia!”_

_“Alright, Pop!” The aforementioned Amy quickly appeared in the doorway to the office, giving her father a glowing smile. She was dressed for the summer heat - a pair of jean shorts, a yellow t-shirt and a striped long sleeved shirt thrown over it, with the sleeves rolled up._

_“You bellowed?”_

_“You know,” her father huffed. “If you were actually in the store when I needed you, I wouldn’t need to shout.”_

_“Shouting is how I know you love me.”_

_Smirking, Lucien handed her a sheet of paper. “The Doyles again,” he said. “Terrible threes, literally. If it’s not the oldest boy, it’s the second.”_

_Grabbing the sheet, Amy looked over the quickly scribbled note. The Doyles were a new family to the area, but the business had already been well introduced to them, thanks to their young sons - Sean, Austin, and Peter. All three seemed unnaturally attracted to putting anything and everything into the toilet and watching it go down the drain._

_“See?” Amy quipped, shaking the paper at him. “All those times you spent complaining about me and you could be poor Mr. Doyle.”_

_“You were only spared cause you look like your mama,” came the retort._

_Amy laughed, bouncing inside and dropping a quick peck on her father’s cheek. “Depending on what they flushed this time, I might be a little late for dinner.”_

_“She’s making risotto, so try not to be late, eh?”_

_“I’ll do my best.”_

_“Hey,” he whispered, grabbing her hand. “This month’s been pretty good, so I’m thinking of upping your pay a bit. Not now, but in a bit.”_

_“What about Johnny?”_

_Lucien waved her off. “Johnny’s gonna do another year and then he’s out,” he said. “But up to you. I wanna hire a few new guys, but I wanna make sure they know what’s what and I trust you to do that, capisci?”_

_The young woman nodded in embarrassment. Out of the few female friends she had, none of them were plumbers or knew anything about plumbing or cars or anything that was highly and stereo-typically masculine; she knew she should have been doing something like office work or working in the salon down the street, but her heart had always been with the family business and it was something she was inherently proud of. Working with your hands, trying to discover what was causing the issue, and then the happiness of telling a client that their plumbing problem has been resolved was great and left you with a wonderful feeling at the end of the day._

_Having her father think she was worthy of taking a bigger and more active role in the company was incredible. “Thanks, Pop,” she whispered. “I know you probably would’ve wanted one of the boys to do this, but…”_

_“No buts,” the Italian interrupted. “You’re the best one for the job. And you’re the one that enjoys it, so of course I want the best running this business.”_

_“Pop…”_

_“I’m not gonna be around forever,” he continued. “And neither is your mother. I trust you with this, you can handle it. Now, go on, chiacchiere! The poor Doyles are probably drowning by now.”_

_Amy laughed again, dropping another kiss on her father’s check. “Love you! I’ll back around dinner!”_

_Amy headed out into the hot day. Even approaching mid-day, the sun could beat down on those that dared to venture outside. It felt like a scorcher, 91 today, and Amy couldn’t wait to get into the car, if only to enjoy the fifteen minutes of air conditioning before she would need to get out again. The Doyles lived just off Butler St, near Smith, but Amy always took the scenic route to reach them; they were only a few blocks away from the historic district and looking at the beautiful homes that resided there, especially in such nice weather, made the journey worthwhile._

_Most homes in New York were brownstones, multi-storied dwellings that put you next to your neighbor if you had one. Amy vaguely remembered their little two-bedroom apartment, though she had only lived there for maybe a year; they had bought their current brownstone home a year later. Most had three floors, with a basement, main floor, and top floor with bedrooms and baths. The Doyles had a similar structure, with their problems all starting at the top of the stairs._

_Mr. Doyle met her at the door, smiling abashedly when he opened it. He was probably the age of her eldest brother, with sandy blonde hair, green eyes, and a disarming smile that she could easily how he got Mrs. Doyle to marry him. “You’re an angel,” he said, opening the door wider so she could walk through. “I’ve told your father to just keep the credit card; he knows I’ll call a few days later anyways.”_

_“Hey, I’ll remind him to keep it,” she joked. “You guys are climbing your way to paying for my wedding one day. Assuming I get married of course.”_

_“Beautiful girl like you?” was his response. “I’m surprised you aren’t already. What’s wrong with these boys?”_

_“Are you flirting with my husband again?”_

_Mrs. Doyle was just as friendly as her husband and pretty too. Short red hair and hazel eyes, it was no wonder their boys were so adorable. “Me?” Amy questioned. “I’m just trying to get wedding money.”_

_The woman laughed, giving their plumber a pat on her arm. “Knowing our luck, we probably **are** going to be paying for your wedding!” she joked. “Well, you know where the problem is.”_

_“So who was it this time?” she queried. “Huey, Louie, or Dewey?”_

_“Which one was the troublemaker?” asked Mr. Doyle._

_“Uh…I think it was Huey,” Amy said. “Yeah, he was the ringleader.”_

_“Then it was Sean,” both parents answered, causing all three to chuckle._

_Amy took to the stairs and entered the hallway to the second floor, where the bedrooms were. The boys’ room was the first door on the left, while the bathroom was diagonally across; their parents’ bedroom – the master bedroom – was at the end of the hall. Peeking into the boys’ bedroom, where they had been sent after whatever it was they did, Amy noticed they were gathered together, playing with their action figures, making her hope that they hadn’t flushed one of those down. Again._

_“Hey munchkins, what’s cracking?”_

_Three blonde haired children turned in excitement before rushing to give one of their favorite people hugs all around. Sean was the oldest at six, so you would think he would have known better, with Austin at the age of five, and then Peter at three years old; all three tried to apologize, a task that their parents had probably made sure to prompt and practiced them on._

_Amy couldn’t be too mad at them, they were kids after all, and she did joke with their parents that maybe they were all in love with her and just wanted to see her._

_“Alright, bambinos, what did you flush down this time?” she asked. “And do you want it back?”_

* * *

 

_Plumbing was an art and that was that._

_Amy enjoyed the peace, quiet, and overall skill it took to fix a pipe. Many people often felt they could fix their own plumbing issues and in some cases, if the job was small enough, they **could** , but that didn’t always happen. Most cases, the job was too big and required a skilled professional to come in and, first fix whatever additional problem the customer had caused and **then** fix the initial problem._

_In the past, the boys had only managed to flush small items that could be pushed through or luckily pulled out. Not this time. After plunging it and trying to snake it, Amy was met with the realization that she was gonna have to actually take apart the toilet. Blowing out a breath, she quickly went downstairs to notify both the Doyles and her father._

_The Doyles weren’t happy, though it was more disappointment with the boys than the fact that Amy was going to have to pull the toilet. Getting permission to use the phone from their father, she made a quick call back to the shop. “Hey Pop, it’s me,” she began, once her father answered. “The boys really did it this time. I’m gonna have to pull it.” She listened to his response, as well as his question as to how the Doyles were taking it._

_“Well,” she continued. “They aren’t happy, but it’s more about the boys than it me. No dessert for them tonight or the next. It shouldn’t take me too long, I hope, but whatever they put down there isn’t coming out any time soon.” She paused to listen to his answer, using the time to put her hair back into the previous ponytail she had from her previous job._

_“I should be fine, but you could send Johnny around with some lunch. Assuming he hasn’t eaten all the orzotto from last night.” Her giggled rang through the kitchen, as she stood talking on the phone. “Should be done in a few hours, Pop, just in time for some delish orzotto or a slice from Ricco’s.” A pause. “Okay. Tell Ma I’ll pick up peppers if she lets me roast them. Even if she doesn’t, I’m still picking them up; Johnny pegged me for dinner tomorrow._

_“I will. See you later.”_

_After hanging up with her father, Amy headed back upstairs, passing by the bedroom where the boys were getting an earful about putting things in the toilet that didn’t belong in the toilet. Poor kids; they would’ve gotten the belt if she hadn’t been here, she was sure about that. Oh well. Nothing said punishment like no dessert for the week or longer. Closing the  bathroom door slightly, Amy got to work._

_She turned off the valve first, making sure that water wouldn’t come spurting out once she disconnected the tank. She remembered the first time a blast of sewer water hit her in the chest because she had forgotten to shut off the main valve. Thankfully she had been working with her brothers that day, the baby sister who insisted on tagging along and thrusted into the world of plumbing. Any other person would’ve screamed and yelled, but her brothers had been training her for the last few months._

_Once she had a year under her though, they didn’t treat her with kid gloves, making sure she knew where she went wrong, but also how she could fix a mistake that wouldn’t ruin them or their customer. In New York, you had to have at least 2 and a half years of experience before you could go for your license and Amy had walked in and out, first try, with a license stating she was able to work on water and sewage in the city of Brooklyn._

_She had technically been ready to take the test a few years ago, but her father and brothers wanted to make sure she could handle herself without them first. This was the first year she’d been working on her own after getting her license, even though this was her fourth year of actual plumbing, but she didn’t really mind. Working in the quiet of a room, with her thoughts and a pipe was what she wanted to do, even if it was a strange job for a woman._

_Removing the tank, she set about removing the nuts and bolts from the main seat. She was fairly confident that whatever was blocking the flow wasn’t in the toilet, meaning whatever it was, was now stuck in the pipes; Amy knew this was a refurbished house, with a new toilet and new pipes. Unless the pipes were extremely dense, the boys must have gotten something huge stuck within. Amy had to admit, she was intrigued._

_Every call was intriguing, trying to decipher what was causing the issue, but the Doyles were her favorite mystery; last time, it was a Superman toy that had gone in to chase after the villain, who was driving a Matchbox mustang. The time before, it was simple old toilet paper. She wondered – stuff animal? That didn’t seem like a boy’s toy, though she knew Peter did have a teddy bear that she couldn’t recall seeing this time around._

_Clothing? No, too dense to actually flush down. A sock possibly, especially if it was one of Peter’s._

_Rubbing her hands together, she readied herself to remove the seat, a little eager to figure out what it was blocking the pipe. Whenever a toilet seat was removed, you always had to worry about any sewer gas or chemicals that could come up through the pipes…_

_On that Thursday, fifteen minutes before her brother would stop by to drop off lunch for her, Amy Andolesi would encounter something that would change her life forever._

_Turning away from the exposed pipe, Amy grabbed a simple white mask – a standard precaution instilled from her father and brother – and put it over her nose and mouth. She was reaching for the safety goggles when she thought she heard something behind her and, figuring it was just the sound or whatever in the pipe hopefully, thankfully getting itself unstuck, she turned._

_And fell back against the wall._

_The sight was so startling, it actually frightened the girl, until she remembered the boys had probably stuffed…whatever it was down the toilet. It was a strange looking teddy – bulbous brown head, large eyes, and a turned down mouth that appeared to have two little fangs on either end. Two large, thin eyebrows met at a downward point over the eyes, making the creature look extremely mad all the time._

_Why the heck would the Doyles let the boys play with this?_

_Amy shook her head, a bubble of laughter escaping quietly. Well, that solved that. She’d removed the toy, hand it over to the parents – insist they wash it or destroy it – and she’d still be able to stop by the store to get her peppers and actually make it home in time for dinner._

_That is until the thing blinked at her._

_And snarled._

_Then it jumped up and was seemingly sucked back into the pipe._

_“Hey!” she called, almost on reflex. What the heck was that? It was alive? And it disappeared!? Where the hell did it go? Scrambling towards the open pipe, Amy tried to see where it went, but all she saw was blackness, even when she grabbed her flashlight and shone it down._

_Nothing._

_Now, when someone sees a strange creature emerge from a sewer pipe in New York, the first thing that person should do is completely forget they saw anything. If that can’t occur, the next best thing is to quickly inform someone that ‘holy cripes! There are creatures in your sewers!’ and get the heck out of Dodge. At the very most, people will assume you’ve watched too many TV shows, with talking puppets or ninja turtles; worst case scenario, you actually get committed._

_Overall, in case any of the above happens, the last thing a sane person would do is to follow the strange creature._

_So of course, that’s what Amy did._

_Not on purpose, however. No, she was just a butter fingers and let the flashlight slip from her sweaty and shaking hand, watching as it slid down into the darkness before disappearing. Well, she wasn’t about to let that flashlight go; that was her favorite flashlight and the one her brother Matt had gotten her when she received her license. She wanted it back, but short of heading out to a sewer lid or grate, she was stuck._

_Quite literally actually._

_Trying to catch the thing, Amy had put her arm down into the pipe and couldn’t pull it out. It felt like something was holding her in place; actually, it felt as though something was pulling her **in**! No matter how she tried to pull back or struggle against the force, it was too strong and before she knew it, she was being sucked into and down the pipe._

_She closed her eyes, wondering if this was it. There was no way the human body, especially **her** human body, was going to come out of this okay. She could feel her bones moving, contorting, and in that moment, she knew she was about to lose her right arm. Then she felt the same effect on the rest of her body and she knew she was going to die. She imagined her death – bones breaking, neck snapping, head probably bursting like a balloon – before it became way too grisly._

_Instead, she thought about her family._

_Amy loved her parents and as annoying as they could be, she loved her older brothers. It was a shame she was going to die, as she would never see either of them get married or see any of the nieces or nephews they would have. She wouldn’t even get married herself. It wasn’t something she sat around thinking about, the way her other female friends did, but it was there. She couldn’t help it, she was a hopeless romantic; after all, her parents had been married for twenty-eight years and were as much in love as they had been when first married._

_Her godfather and godmother, Derry and Sarah O’Reilly, had been married for a little over thirty years. Even some of their neighbors had been married for that length of time; Amy wanted **that**. As far as she was concerned, her parents were soul mates, fated to be together and Amy wanted that. Sadly, she wouldn’t get that because she was about to be hamburger meat at the bottom of the Doyles’ sewer pipe._

_Until she wasn’t._

_All the pain – which actually lasted about five minutes – resulted in a fast, disgusting water slide through the pipes until she was pushed out to the sewer proper, landing hard on her tail bone, but otherwise okay. She sat for a moment, realizing that she wasn’t dead and she hadn’t lost any limbs, before looking around. Amy had been in the New York sewer system, though just briefly, but she knew what it should look like._

_This was not the New York sewer system._

_For one thing, the familiar zigzag of pipes that hung overhead weren’t there and the next thing was that, there were only two pipes. Green pipes. Amy had lived in Brooklyn all her life and she had never once seen a green pipe. They both protruded slightly from the wall and from deduction, she concluded she had just been pushed out of the one on the right._

_Looking around, she didn’t see the little brown mushroom head anywhere, but there wasn’t anywhere **to** go exactly. Logic would tell her that she was under the Doyle’s house on Butler, so she had to be in the lines that ran under Smith street. Looking both ways, Amy figured she could just wash her loses, head to the right and hopefully get to the next intersection; even the left could provide some sort of hope._

_But if there was one thing Amy was, it was determined. And stubborn. She was in this mess because of that weird looking toy and by God, she wasn’t about to just let it go. She hadn’t heard anything since sitting there, which meant that the thing wasn’t running in the sewers, so that meant it had to have gone in the second pipe. Gulping, Amy slowly stood up, testing her limbs and glad to find she hadn’t broken anything; she’d had a bruise on her butt the size of Manhattan, but it would heal._

_The unknown had never been frightening to her, if anything it was like heading into a new adventure. Besides, what if that thing was hurt? Or what if it was trying to hurt other people? She couldn’t let that stand, she wouldn’t. Taking a deep breath, she took a few steps until she stood in front of the second pipe. As with the Doyles’ toilet, she didn’t feel anything coming at her, no wind or breeze, but she knew that as soon as she put her arm in, she would feel that same pulling sensation._

_Taking the chance, Amy held out both arms in front of her, easing them into the pipe and letting the suction take her away._

* * *

 

_Coming out of the strange pipe, Amy was shot out like a cannon, flying up in the air slightly before, once again, landing hard on the ground, though this time it was soft grass that met her fall. She laid there for a few moments, before getting to her knees and sitting back to view her new surroundings. Wherever she was, it was a brighter place than New York._

_Instead of the familiar high building towers or even brownstones, wherever she ended up was a spacious land of green – grass seemed to cover the majority of the area, though in the distance there did seem to be a few paths that people could walk down. What did confuse her were the various brick blocks that seemed to just hang overhead in the sky as though hanging on string, however Amy couldn’t see anything holding them; they didn’t swing back and forth the way you would expect._

_Still trying to get her bearings, Amy stood slowly, before turning at the same pace to get a better look at her surroundings. All around her seemed to be the same as what had greeted her, so she decided to check out the hanging bricks. She examined a row of five – four were actual brick blocks, while the fifth was a gold block with a strange question mark on it. She also couldn’t see any type of string or harness that were keeping the blocks up in the air. So strange._

_Looking around, the young woman tried to figure out which direction she should go or better, which way her little mushroom head friend had gone. She only had a few moments to decide before she heard a shout for help, coming from what she could only guess was east to her position. Without thinking further, she immediately took off at a run towards the sound; she could figure out her weird area later, right now it sounded as though someone was in trouble. What if that weird creature was attacking someone?_

_The closer she got, the louder the sounds did, as though someone was struggling, but fighting off forces at the same time. The sounds seemed to be coming on the other side of a hill and Amy put on the gas powering her moments, trekking up the hill and stopping to look below. She wasn’t sure what she seeing was what could be described as…well…real._

_Later, she would recall it as though she was watching a play, Robin Hood, as it was the only thing she could recall that included royal coaches, kings, queens, and knights. There was what looked to her like a royal coach, the same type you’d find in some fairy tale, but instead of being pulled by horses, it was actually motorized. There looked to be three…well, not men…well, there did seem to be **one** man in the bunch, taller than the other two for sure._

_The other two were half the size of the tall man, with strange colored mushroom caps on their heads. All three were dressed formally, in which Amy thought was some type of military garb. One of the strange mushroom heads was struggling against an attacker, while the other mushroom head was trying to save him; the man she had noticed earlier was fighting off the other attackers, with jumps, kicks, and a crazy vision that looked like he had shot one with a fireball from his hand._

_And then, of course, there were the attackers._

_The majority looked like upright turtles, if their green and red shells were any indication, however they didn’t exactly look like turtles when she got a glimpse of their faces. They kinda looked like…dinosaurs. Lizards maybe? Along with them were more of the little brown mushroom creatures she had initially followed to arrive here and all of them seemed to be swarming the group._

_The scene was completely mental and if she was somehow dreaming, it would be the best money making dream ever and she was totally going to sell this as a movie cause…this was ridiculous._

_But as crazy as it was, there was a group of people who needed help and she was the only one around to help them. Rushing down the rest of the hill until she was able to reach them, she exclaimed, “Somebody call for a plumber?”_

_The statement threw off everyone involved, including the intended victims, who stopped and stared at the newcomer. The taller man used the distraction in his favor, bringing up his hand and delivering a fireball that hit one of the dino turtle things square in the chest. Two of the brown creatures slowly maneuvered their way towards her, putting the plumber at a loss of what to do; while she was of course all for helping these people, she wasn’t really sure how to go about that and certainly, with Merlin the Magician there, she was curious to know how he was making fire come from his hands._

_“You gonna help or what?” Merlin asked, dodging another turtle thing._

_“How?” she shouted back, taking a few steps back from the approaching villains._

_“Jump!”_

_“What?”_

_“On their heads!” he exclaimed, easily getting frustrated at having to teach while in the midst of a fight. “Jump on their heads!”_

_Obviously Merlin was out of his mind, but with two of these coming towards her and another turtle group approaching, she decided to just take his word for it._

_Now Amy had been a rough and tumble type of girl. While her peers played with dolls, she opted to play sports, notably softball and some gymnastics; it was gymnastics that her parents wanted her to concentrate on, but how could anyone from Brooklyn concentrate on gymnastics when the city was the heart of baseball? Of course, once she got into plumbing, gymnastics certainly did help when it came to getting in and out of tight spots._

_Facing off against small, slow moving fungus type creature definitely countered as a tight spot. Amy could easily do both front and back flips, but never from a standing position, so she took a few steps back before running forward and jumping in the air, flipping forward, and landing on the first of the two fungi. And it worked! Wherever it went, it was no longer there, gone in a blink of an eye, but Amy didn’t have time to ponder that because she was again taking a run before repeating the process on the second one._

_“Hey new kid!”_

_Looking over, she could see Merlin managed to get his hand – or his foot rather – on one of the shells, a green one by the look of it. With his eyes, he glanced over to where a few more of the turtle things were trying to gang up on the shorter mushroom heads before glancing back at her. Nodding, she got that he wanted her to run point on them, but the plan didn’t make sense until he shouted, “Think fast!” before kicking the shell towards her._

_It whizzed towards her and she was able to use the momentum to kick it towards the turtle group, who were unaware of what was coming. And just like a bowling ball to a set of pins, the shell knocked all of the turtle things, causing the two mushroom heads to jump out of the way as the group went sailing past them. Obviously knowing they were beat, any stragglers quickly ran off, done with trying to do whatever they were trying to do._

_“Yeah, punks!” Amy shouted after the running figures. Turning towards the two mushroom heads, she walked towards them saying, “Hey, you two alr…”_

_Before she could finish however, a fireball streaked between her and the two. Swiveling her head to the right, Merlin the Magician was coming up, with his hand pointed at her, a ball of fire literally sitting in his palm. “Would you kindly just stand there for a second?” he asked._

_“What the hell?” she retorted. “What’s your problem, Sir Fights-a-Lot? I just saved your bacon!”_

_Up close, she could definitely see that these three were royalty or rather, one of them screamed royalty while the others had to be his staff or protectors or something. The first of the mushroom heads was a middle-aged guy, with bushy blonde hair that was covered with a gold and yellow mushroom cap; his eyebrows were equally bushy and seemed to cover his eyes, though she could see they just seemed smaller under all that hair. Below that was a bushy beard that tied everything together, adding to his hippy like appearance, however the lopsided crown proved that, hippy or not, he was the ruling leader of wherever she was._

_The next mushroom head was slightly younger than his king or whomever. His mushroom was actually tan in color, with brown spots dotting along the top; he had a large brown moustache that seemed to throw off his red bowtie and red vest combination, which ended with a pair of white slacks._

_The actual human of the group was taller than his companions, with maybe a head on Amy herself. He was dressed in a more informal uniform – a straight collared white shirt, with a navy blue jacket that covered it, as well as matching navy blue slacks. He was clean shaven, short dark brown hair, and steely gray eyes that were boring into her. They weren’t harsh, per se, but they didn’t hold any friendly tidings either, as though warning her to be wary._

_One feature that did stand out was the bulbous nose that was attached at the end of face._

_“Quite right,” replied the tan mushroom head, his English accent highlighting his speech. “If it wasn’t for your insight, miss, we might have been set upon by those blaggards.”_

_“I had everything well in hand, thank you, Toadsworth,” countered the man, who at least let the ball of fire go out in his palm, though he was slow to lower it._

_“Yeah, I could see that as you were obviously being robbed,” Amy noted, sarcastically. “Weren’t so quick on the draw with the fire hands, huh, Merlin?”_

_“What?”_

_“You are of course in our debt,” the blonde replied, straightening his crown and standing straight. “Allow me to introduce ourselves. I am King Phineas Toadstool, this is my adviser Toadsworth, and my royal guard, Sir Martin of Pau. While I know Martin is more than capable of handling himself, I am grateful for your arrival.”_

_“Which seems suspicious,” Martin said, throwing a look towards the newcomer. “A stranger just arriving in the nick of time to save his highness. What did you say your name was?”_

_“I didn’t,” Amy retorted, smirking at him. “But thanks for asking. I can tell you’re the gentlemanly type; real lady killer, aren’t you?”_

_“Forgive us, miss,” the mushroom head called Toadsworth said, bowing quickly. “Where are our manners? We haven’t yet asked for the name of our savior.”_

_“Amy,” she said, nodding to each of them. “Amy Andolesi.”_

_“And where exactly did you come from, Amy Andolesi?” asked Martin, suspiciously._

_“Home of the free and the brave,” she chuckled. “Brooklyn, baby!”_

_The trio gave her varying looks of confusion. Even the king asked, “What’s a Brooklyn?”_

_“Brooklyn, New York,” she tried again. Surely, they had at least heard of New York, but again, they just looked at her, having no idea what she was talking about. “Come on,” she chuckled, looking at all three. “The Brooklyn Bridge? Coney Island? Home of the original Brooklyn Dodgers before those bastards in LA stole them from us.”_

_Nothing but blank stares._

_“Come on, fellas,” she said, sternly. “I’m gonna start feelin’ a little insulted here if you can’t back me up on the Dodgers. And I will be **extremely** remiss if I find out you’re all Yankees fans…”_

_“I’m sorry to disappoint, my dear,” Toadsworth replied. “But none of us have any idea as to what you mean.”_

_“Okay,” Amy said, slowly. “How ‘bout we start with this? Where the heck am **I**? Like, what is this place?”_

_Both the king and Toadsworth chuckled. “Why, you’re in the Mushroom Kingdom!” the king exclaimed, smiling. His smile soon began to fade when his previous look of confusion and blank knowledge appeared on Amy’s face. “You mean to say you don’t recognize me? King Phineas of the Mushroom Kingdom?”_

_Amy shrugged._

_“Well, this is a pickle, isn’t it?” Toadsworth asked, worriedly looking at the king. “Are you sure you haven’t…um…injured yourself in any way?”_

_“Other than a bruised ass, everything is where it should be,” she groused. “Wow. I’m a literal Yankee in Arthur’s court, which is saying something, cause you know. That previous statement about the Yankees.” Again, her audience looked at her strangely. “A Yankee in King Arthur’s Court.”_

_…_

_“Mark Twain?”_

_…_

_“Really?” she asked. “Tell me this place has libraries, cause obviously a trip to one is in high order.”_

_“Perhaps it would be better if we took our discussion back to the castle,” the king said. “Miss Amy, I would be most delighted if you would accompany us.”_

_“Are you serious!?” Martin asked. “Highness, do you really think it’s a good idea to allow a stranger, who apparently is from some strange, far off land, to travel with you – the king – back to your castle?”_

_“Martin, show some respect,” Toadsworth chastised, opening the door for the king and his guest. “Miss Amy was kind enough to aid us when we needed it. Surely, you don’t suspect her of sabotage after saving our lives?”_

_Ironically, that was **exactly** what Martin was thinking, but he kept the comment to himself, instead taking the door from the advisor, while he sat up front to drive. The king entered first, while Amy waited her turn._

_“Try to contain your excitement,” she quipped, climbing into the coach as Martin followed. There were two seats opposite one another, so Amy took the one across from the king, which of course is where Martin sat as well._

_“You haven’t **begun** to see my level of excitement,” he retorted, giving her a slight sneer._

_“I’m not sure if that’s a promise or a threat.”_

_“Well, the day’s still young.”_

_The trip back to the castle was one of explanation and discovery. Amy watched in rapt attention as they passed by hills and valleys of green, with fluffy and smiling clouds in the sky, this new world showing itself to be a fairly peaceful place. “Enjoying the sights, my dear?” asked Phineas._

_“Absolutely,” she whispered. Chuckling, she spared him a glance. “Sorry, I’ve never been in a royal coach before.”_

_“Do you not have ruling families in your Brooklyn?”_

_Amy shook her head. “In England, maybe some other countries,” she began. “Not the states, though.” Realizing her sentence was met with confused silence, she tried coming up with something that **would** make sense. “So,” she started. “The Mushroom Kingdom is like, one of a few kingdoms?”_

_Phineas nodded. “That is correct,” he said. “There are of course various lands that have their own rulers, but many reside within the kingdom themselves.”_

_“Okay, well…the states, United States that is, is kinda like that, I think,” she replied. “It’s a country and there are a few more, but each of those have areas that are governed by smaller leaders, so…oh, I know! We have a president and we get to choose who gets to be president every four years, so he’s like our overall leader. Then each of the states – lands, you could say – have their own leaders, like mayors, governors...”_

_“You actually get to choose who leads you?” Martin asked, a bit intrigued. While the Mushroom Kingdom was a bit more progressive in their leadership, he knew other kingdoms wouldn’t and didn’t allow such choice._

_“Yeah,” Amy said, as though it was a natural thing. “Well, in the states we do. I mean, there’s a couple of countries who don’t; they’d rather run their countries into the ground before allowing the people a say in anything that involves them.” Her eyes widened at the veiled contempt before she immediately said, “Not that I’m saying you’re like that, highness! I’m not! I mean, I don’t know and I kinda hope not…”_

_Thankfully, Phineas laughed off the insult. “Do not worry yourself, Miss Amy,” he chuckled. “I understand. No, our people here are able to voice any issues or concerns they have to either my wife or myself, but I do know what you mean. You are correct; there are lands like your countries in which the ruling family maintains an iron fist to ensure their control. Thankfully, those lands are far and few in between and none that we in this kingdom would begin to associate with.”_

_Their conversation continued as the coach car began to pull into the town – Toad Town, as Phineas called it – featuring more of the Toad creatures that he and the driving advisor Toadsworth were the species of. The name was aptly applied, as Amy couldn’t see or place any humans in the area and she was dying to know why. “You’re going to think this incredibly rude,” she started, turning to look at her companions. “But where…”_

_“Are all the humans?” Martin finished for her, a knowing look in his eye that also seemed to hold a brief look of sadness as well. “The kingdom is peaceful now, but it hasn’t always been so. A lot of good men and women have been lost in countless wars beforehand.”_

_“Does the kingdom have many enemies?”_

_“Thankfully, no,” Phineas replied. “My family has done much to make sure that we are allied where we can, though sometimes it’s not easy; as our previous conversation alluded, there are some lands and kingdoms that refuse to enter into a time of peace with anyone, even if it could be to their benefit.”_

_As they drove through town, Phineas pointed out some of the highlights of the little city, including shops and favorite places to go; it was plain to see that Phineas wasn’t like other rulers that the native New Yorker had read about. The fact that people on street waved to him and he to them, plus his obvious knowledge of different stores and shops, it was clear that Phineas was a Toad of the people and that he really did care for those that entrusted him to their care and needs._

_Toadsworth must have had a sixth sense that the king would want to show the newcomer around, for he seemed to take the scenic route towards the castle, finally coming up on a path that lead directly towards it. The castle itself was actually seen from the town, but it was spectacular to view as they drove up – three stories, with five cone shaped towers that were easily seen from the distance; it was painted in a yellow/gold coloring mix, with the roofing all done in a brick red. The driveway path was surrounded with beautiful green landscaping, that seemed to surround the castle._

_Phineas began to mention his wife’s love of gardening and that she had personally supervised having various rose bushes in the back gardens to fulfill her enjoyment._

_A large doorway lay at the end of the path that connected with a stone bridge that lead into the castle proper. The large wooden doors were already open, allowing Toadsworth to drive straight through the courtyard before stopping at the actual castle doors. Both driver and the occupants left the carriage, with the advisor asking a Toad servant to drive the car back to the garage before they entered the castle. Two short series of stairs lead up to the doorway, which when opened revealed a red patterned carpet that lead towards the throne room._

_That seemed to be where they were headed, until a young woman entered from the right. She actually managed to surprise Amy, as she was expecting another Toad person, not another human; the woman was probably around the age of her older brother Johnny, with sandy brown hair and big blue eyes. She was smiling at them, though the smile seemed to grow wider when she laid eyes on their group. The plumber assumed the woman was smiling at Sir Martin, but her surprise grew when it was the king she happily embraced, before delivering a kiss to his mushroom cap._

_“Amy,” he said, proudly holding the woman close with his arm. “May I present my beautiful wife, the good queen Dalia Toadstool.”_

_“The…the pleasure is mine, highness, of course,” Amy stuttered, performing an awkward curtesy that almost had her tumbling to the side._

_“Not falling down on the job, are you, shorty?” came the quip from behind her._

_“Still doing better than you, stretch,” she retorted, putting on a smile as the queen stepped towards her._

_“You’ll forgive my speechlessness,” the queen apologized. “It’s just that there are so few humans in the land, it’s quite surprising to see one.”_

_“Well, I can do you one better,” Amy chuckled. “I’m definitely not from this land or this world, I think. All I know is this is some weird timey-whimey thing we’ve all got caught up in.”_

_“Did someone mention time?”_

_Coming from the same direction was another human, male this time, with slicked back black hair and moustache to match. He was dressed smartly, in a modified suit and tie, that were also black and he stopped next to the queen. “Oh, Doctor!” the queen replied. “It’s actually quite fortunate you’re here today. Apparently, we have a rather mysterious mystery on our hands.”_

_“Excellent,” the doctor said, rubbing his hands together. “Bring me up to speed!”_

 

* * *

 

_With an audience that included Dr. Ulysses Reeka, Amy began her story. She told the others how she had been on a job at the Doyles, how the strange creature – a Goomba, she learned – had come out of the sewer pipe and she instinctively went after it. She told how she had landed in the sewers that she hadn’t recognized with two green pipes; taking the pipe on the left was how she ended up here._

_“Hmmm…” the doctor replied. “Very interesting. My assistant and I were talking about this very thing last week.”_

_“What thing, Doctor?” the queen asked._

_“Separate worlds from our own,” he said. “Scientists of course wonder if there’s more out there than we know, including other places, different from ours.”_

_“You’re talking about parallel universes,” Amy concluded._

_"Exactly!” he exclaimed. “From your story, it’s clear you are from one of these parallel worlds – perhaps the same in shape and circumstance, but with different inhabitants, governmental structure, and what have you. I do find it very interesting that you were able to find warp pipes in your world.”_

_“Warp pipes?” Amy asked. “Like in Star Trek?” Again, her audience was at a lost to what she meant. Waving it off, she concluded with, “Nevermind. Just know it’s a show that delves into the same thing – different worlds, different people, different time periods, etc.”_

_“Well, how do we know this is true?” Martin asked, giving Amy a look, who shot one back at him, causing him to shrug. “This all seems very coincidental. Mysterious stranger finds strange green pipe before launching herself head long, winds up in a different world, perhaps even dimension, saves the life of the king at the exact moment he’s being attacked? That’s certainly a story for one of your libraries.”_

_Whatever warm feelings Amy hoped to get from this guy had waned and now, he was starting to piss her off. Taking out the billfold wallet she kept with her on jobs, she pulled out her driver’s license. “You want proof?” she hissed, tossing the license to Toadsworth. “There’s your proof. That’s my driver’s license, which I’ve had since I was sixteen – date of birth, height, weight, hair, eye color, and home address, which you’ll find is in Brooklyn.”_

_Tossing the rest of the wallet to Martin, she stated, “Do your worse, hot shot.”_

_The quartet examined the license, which sure enough stated that Amy was indeed from New York state, from the city of Brooklyn as her address indicated; something that got the eye of queen was Amy’s given name. “Ambrosia?” she asked._

_“Oh, yeah…uh…” Amy sputtered. “It’s my full name. No one ever calls me that though, unless I’m in trouble. And given that it’s me, I tend to hear it a lot.”_

_“Big family?” Martin asked, as he flipped through various pictures in her wallet. She only had a few things in it, preferring to keep as light as possible, especially in the city. She had a few of her family and some with friends, there were some her trip to Italy with her Italian family. She seemed to be smiling in every one of them, especially one with a red-haired man, as they posed for the camera._

_Flipping it so she could see it, he asked, “Boyfriend?”_

_“No.”_

_“Husband?”_

_“Jealous?”_

_“Hardly,” he smirked, before closing the billfold. “Anything else you’d like to tell us?”_

_“I’m an Aries, the youngest of three and the only daughter, I like walks on beaches at midnight,” she wisecracked. “Anything more and you’ll need to take me to dinner.”_

_Keeping the smirk on his face, Martin tossed the billfold back._

_“Here’s the big million dollar question,” Amy replied, putting the wallet back in her pocket. “I’m guessing these warp pipe things transport you to other places? So, if a warp pipe sent me here, could it send me back? As in, would I use the same one to get home?”_

_“Ah,” Reeka said. “That’s the question, isn’t it? I’m afraid that warp pipes can sometimes be unstable and misleading. I unfortunately can not say if the pipe that lead you here would lead you back or worse, wouldn’t lead you somewhere else.”_

_“Then it’s most fortunate that she was able to land here,” Toadsworth concluded._

_“So…I might not be able to go back home?” Amy whispered. This was certainly not the chain of events she thought would happen when she followed the Goomba into the sewers, but as was her way, Amy hardly looked before she leapt and this was a good example of a time when she should have been thinking before doing._

_“Oh Amy,” the queen cooed. “If it is in our power, we will do everything we can to ensure your safe return. In the meantime, you must be starving, not to mention  you probably need some rest. You of course are welcome to stay here, Martin can show you around.”_

_“I can?” asked the royal guard. Upon receiving a look from the queen, he amended with, “Of course. I can definitely show you to one of the guest rooms, as well as escorting you down to dinner.”_

_“I’ll put in a call to Toadsly,” Toadsworth said. “He’s our royal tailor. We can’t have you unattired for your stay here.”_

_“I…I don’t want to put you out…”_

_“Nonsense,” Phineas said, waving her off._

_“You saved my husband’s life,” Dalia added. “Even if I wasn’t queen, I would still extend the offer for that alone. Thankfully, I am queen, so whatever you need to help make your stay comfortable, do not hesitate to ask. We will help you in any way we can.”_

 

* * *

 

_Activity within the castle stopped at a certain point. With exception towards some of the balls and other parties that could be held inside, a few hours after dinner saw the royal couple retire to their rooms, while servants began to shut down the castle._

_This was the time of night that Martin enjoyed the most._

_The peace and quiet of it all allowed him to be alone with his thoughts, while also having the excuse to make one last patrol around the corridors. He knew this ritual was due to over concern, but Phineas and Dalia were more than just his king and queen, they were his friends and they had certainly done more for him than he could have ever expected. In fact, while there was still lingering doubt about this new stranger, he hadn’t been surprised when Dalia had offered their home as a place of refuge._

_Their kindness didn’t just extend to friends or weary travelers - their generosity was the reason why the people of the Mushroom Kingdom loved them so. They were as fair as they were kind and while they didn’t truly like the idea of having actual guards, the kingdom’s past warranted such things. Martin had delved into the military history of the kingdom, learning that it had once been at war with a few nearby lands, but that had been centuries ago, with those lands either disintegrating from their inner and outer squabbles or they had repurposed themselves into better lands._

_Among the history of the lands and kingdoms were legends and prophesies, many of which had never come to past and were pegged as idle warnings or visions from magicians looking to rob a true believer from their coin. Martin never took stock of those, thinking them the strange stories of the mind; that was why this story of parallel worlds and the people from them made him suspicious._

_The story seemed outrageous, but he couldn’t poke any holes in the proof that had been shown. Certainly, they didn’t have the type of technology that could have made the images presented and the clothing their present stranger wore wasn’t something either he, Toadsworth, or the king had ever seen before. And her stories – about large buildings, bridges over oceans, ships coming to shore – while they were things the Mushroom Kingdom had, they didn’t seem to be on the same scale as the ones in the land of New York._

_To be honest, Martin wasn’t sure what to think of this Amy Andolesi._

_She wasn’t like any woman he had ever met, though in his life to this point, he had only known of noble women, who watched over the castle and protected the children while their husbands and guards went to protect the lands. Dalia was probably the first whom had defied convention and learned to handle herself against the incoming enemies to the north. But even Dalia didn’t like to wish harm on anyone and she would’ve rather tend to her garden than to run around, stomping on the heads of Goombas and Koopa Troopers._

_But Amy…even from the start, she had only hesitated once, and only because she was unused to the ways of handling foes in this land. And even when presented with a strange being, she had blindly gone after it, consequences be damned, before stopping to help a group unknown to her, in an unknown world. He was still suspicious, but he was coming to learn there was more to her than what he knew._

_And speaking of the stranger, there she was in front of him, though she hadn’t noticed him. She sat curled on a bench that was placed against one of the second story balconies, looking out into the night sky and the stars. It was her profile that immediately struck him – her hair was down from its earlier ponytail and splayed about her shoulders and she was draped in a silken light blue robe that the queen had given for her use. Toadsly had come earlier to take measurements for the standard noble fair and while Martin didn’t know what was said, he did know the elder Toad had not been happy about whatever he was going to make._

_For the moment, however, the young guard found his breath literally taken away by the sight._

_Shaking his head from the thought – she could still very well be there to assassinate the king and queen! – he took the few extra steps to reach her. “Can’t sleep?” he whispered, as to not startle her._

_Amy turned, smiling at the intruder. “I never could sleep in new places,” she admitted. “Even if I do like going to new places.”_

_“And this is certainly a newer place than perhaps you’ve seen.”_

_She laughed at his joke, covering her mouth quickly and looking around, afraid that she may have woken others. “That’s for sure,” she replied. “I can assure you my list of things for the day did not include traveling to a parallel world. Or assassination.” Martin raised an eyebrow at her. “Don’t tell me that’s not what you’re thinking.”_

_“Well…” he said, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment. “Not **now** , I’m not. But I was five minutes ago.”  _

_Again, the stranger giggled, before turning to look back into to the night air. “If I could get out of your hair, I would, but…”_

_Martin nodded. Even with his suspicions, he could easily see that the prospect of never going back to her world saddened her; a mere assassin wouldn’t be so torn as to their fate after their deed was completed. “May I?” he asked, indicating the open space next to her._

_“Of course.”_

_They sat in compatible silence, until Amy said, “Your stars are different.”_

_“How so?”_

_“There aren’t that many,” she said, looking up and trying to count them. “They also don’t seem to make any constellations. And yours are yellow, with eyes. That’s weird.”_

_Martin huffed. “Right,” he said. “Our stars are weird. But you’re telling me yours make pictures in the sky?”_

_“Not pictures, per se,” she said, rolling her eyes. “More like…characters from an overall story.”_

_“Such as?”_

_“Such as,” she began, pointing upwards to the north. “In New York, right there would be the constellation Gemini, also known as the twins. Their main stars are Castor and Pollux, which make the ‘head’ of the constellation, with other stars filling out their bodies so to speak.”_

_“Castor and Pollux,” Martin repeated. “And who were they?”_

_“Well,” she said. “Depending on which myth you take, there’s two different stories. In Greek myth, they are the sons of the great god Zeus; in Roman mythology, they’re Remus and Romulus, the twin founders of Rome, Italy. I think most Italians go with Roman history, at least my parents do.”_

_“Why?”_

_“They’re both from Italy,” she said. “Not Rome, but from there. I’m sure you noticed some of the pictures of my family.”_

_Martin nodded, though he was a little ashamed at his earlier behavior. “You come from a big family?”_

_“Oh yeah,” she said, chuckling a bit. “I think every Italian does, even if they start out small. I have two brothers, I wasn’t lying about that, but back in Italy, I’ve got like a ton of uncles and aunts and cousins. That doesn’t even count my brothers ever getting married and having children. You can imagine that dinner is a loud, ruckus affair.” Martin chuckled._

_“What about you?” she asked. “Are you from here? This kingdom, I mean.”_

_“No,” he whispered. “I came here when I was a child.”_

_“With your parents?”_

_“My mother,” he continued. “My father was killed in battle, but I don’t remember him. My mother died shortly after arriving.”_

_“What did you do?”_

_“Lived on the streets for about a month,” he replied. “I was taken in by a noble family until my late teens. Then I manage to run into Phineas, well when he was still Prince Phineas, and I’ve been here ever since.”_

_The two traded stories for some time – Amy about her life in Brooklyn, Martin about life there in the kingdom – before they realized it was getting later than it already was. Showing her that he could indeed be a gentleman, Martin escorted her to back to her guest room before going down a ways to his own room. “I’m sure it was complete coincidence that you put me two doors away from you,” was her cheeky quip._

_“Completely,” he said, sending her a smile before entering his room._

_Amy smirked at the response, entering her own chamber. She was totally flirting with him, she knew it and she wasn’t exactly afraid of it being known; she didn’t know why. Maybe because he had seemed reluctant for her help, before suggesting she was an assassin. Actually, it was probably because of cheeky responses to her own quips. Shaking her head, she sighed sadly. With any luck, she would only be here for a few days, a week at most and then she would head back home, never to see this strange land again._

_Of course the cute guy she’d met be in a parallel world._

 

_Figures._

 

* * *

 

**_Four months later_ **

 

_Sometimes, it felt as it was only yesterday that she had gotten sucked down a sewer pipe in a bathroom and landed in a new land and other times, it felt as though she had always been in the Mushroom Kingdom._

_Four months ago, the life of Amy Andolesi had changed phenomenally when she had taken a chance and chased after a strange creature that had popped up in an underground sewage pipe. From there, Amy had entered into the Mushroom Kingdom, a parallel world to her own, with its own government, lands, people, and ruling family. Since that time, she had become a trusted member of the King’s Guard, an elite team of protectors that, well, protected the king and queen, as well as the town below from incoming enemies._

_They even had a portrait of her commissioned to be hung in the hallway._

_They were still trying to figure out how to return her back to her home world – Dr. U. Reeka and his little geeky assistant, Elvin Gadd, worked to learn how exactly warp pipes worked between their world and hers, a new fascinating project that the two were more than happy to set time aside to work on. In the meantime, Amy had pledged to help protect the kingdom and couple who had so graciously helped her when she was in need._

_From day one, or rather day two, it had been important for her to learn the ways of the kingdom, especially how to fight the enemies they continued to encounter. While the kingdom was home to mostly Toads, with some scattered humans, the other inhabitants used to be the small creatures known as Goombas, along with Koopas, the strange shelled lizard creatures that Amy had initially thought of as walking dino turtles._

_These beings had gone from peacefully living in the Mushroom Kingdom, to being the main causes of destruction and harassment to the people of Toad Town. What they could figure was that the land to the North, the so called Darkland because of its perpetual dark clouds and sky, along with active volcanoes, seemed to be recruiting these beings, along with others to do their dirty work. The reasons weren’t known, but they all expected it was because of the current ruler trying to take over the kingdom as a whole._

_Fighting these creatures wasn’t like a normal fight, as Amy had discovered. Their primary weakness were jumps to the head, however the best way to counter these beings was with a power-up. Power-ups were exactly what they sounded like – powers that were absorbed by the body and allowing for their usage; those were the special items in the question mark boxes that Amy had initially seen when she first arrived._

_Getting these power-ups however did not seem feasible – you would have to jump and hit the blocks. Gold and brick blocks._

_“I’m going to break my hand!” she had shouted._

_Martin sighed, before looking at her. He was testing the theory that only a saint could possibly have the patience with Amy’s stubbornness and hot temper, however he had seen both several times in the months he had known her. “You’ll be fine,” he had said, patiently, watching as she paced back and forth. He had certainly learned some of her Italian language, because she would let loose a stream of curses when something upset her._

_They had grown closer in these last few months and Martin was afraid he may have lost his heart to her. That was the last thing he wanted, especially when any day could mean their last together, which was **also** the last thing he wanted. He had a duty to protect the kingdom and he couldn’t lose sight of that, not when everything he was was thanks to Phineas and Dalia. But Amy Andolesi had a pull on him he had never known with any other._

_Oh, he suspected that Queen Dalia was fully onboard with him and Amy becoming a couple; after all, it had been her suggestion that the two investigate strange and odd happenings all over the kingdom. Never mind that the King’s Guard consisted of more than just him – there was at least ten people – they never seemed to be available to check these things out, only him and Amy._

_Of course, he could have easily said no and told her majesty to mind her own business; he could also tell her to stop inviting eligible princesses to her parties so he could meet them, however with both, he never did. He always politely accepted the conversation of the guests, though he knew without a doubt he enjoyed himself immensely more with Amy than he had in years with these various princesses._

_In the beginning, their mornings started with Martin taking Amy out to one of the surrounding areas, showing her how to retrieve power-ups and how they worked. That first day though, had been intimidating. Even after he had shown her how it all worked, she was still hesitant – solid gold blocks broke hands and caused concussions or worse; the same was true with bricks._

_“If you get hurt,” Martin had taunted. “I’ll be sure to kiss it and make it better.”_

_“I’ll hold you to that, Martino.”_

_It only took a few tries, but Amy had gotten the hang of it, becoming a fast learner, especially when using fire flowers; in fact, that seemed to be the preferred power for both and they were able to utilize it in tandem in order to create the most damaging effect they could against their foes._

_When she wasn’t helping protect the kingdom, she was exploring it and learning more about it, ironically enough with Martin as her guide. Amy was her mother’s daughter and Francesca had instilled a love of knowledge, learning, and reading and it was something that was beneficial for her daughter now. However, it did bring a sense of guilt to the young woman – it had been four months since that day at the Doyles. Her family must be beside themselves! Amy hadn’t thought anything about going after the Goomba, but now in hindsight, she couldn’t believe how stupid she had been._

_It wasn’t like she had told the Doyles she was leaving and if her father had made good on getting her brother to deliver lunch to her, they would’ve gone upstairs to see a demolished toilet and no Amy. Worse, she had never been the type of girl that didn’t inform someone where she was or who she was with, even if she thought her deed would lead to some sort of adventure._

_It would be one thing if it had been four hours, but four months, without word from her, she could only imagine how her family was feeling._

_Most of the time, she was busy learning about her new home, while fighting off foes, but in those times when she didn’t have anything to take her mind off things, she couldn’t help but despair. What if she **never** got home? What if her family thought something horrible had happened to her, like she had been kidnapped or murdered? It was New York after all and it wouldn’t be unheard of. What if by the time she was able to get back, everyone she knew was gone?_

_What if time in this world moved slower than her own universe, meaning that while it was four months here, it had been **four years** back home?_

_Those were questions she was afraid to answer, afraid to know the truth, and ultimately, the possibilities tore her up inside._

 

* * *

 

**_Six months later_ **

 

_They had done it._

_It had taken six months, but finally Reeka, Gadd, and a few savvy Toads had been able to find a warp pipe that would take Amy back to her home of Brooklyn and out of the Mushroom Kingdom._

_And Martin hated it._

_Everyone seemed so overjoyed at the prospect of Amy going home, that no one thought of what it would do to **them.** Six months in the Mushroom Kingdom and Amy Andolesi had made an impact on any and every one she had met; most of Toad Town knew who she was and any enemy they encountered knew to be wary of the King’s Guardsman and his mystery woman. They had really gotten a routine down between them and it was evident that it extended past the point of friendship._

_Martin hadn’t wanted to feel the way he did – he had come to cherish his time with Amy and the more time they did spend together, the more his feelings for her began to turn. Dash it all, he had known it that first night! He was attracted to her – she was brave, but sweet; impulsive, but thoughtful; intimidating in some parts, but incredibly caring. And when she turned those baby blues on him…_

_What would someone so beautiful and wonderful want with a street rat like him? He may have grown up in nobility, but he wasn’t a noble; it was his knowledge of people and his learning abilities that made him smart. It had taken years for him to be able to appear as the cool and confident soldier he was, but those first few times, he’d been scared crazy! And some part of him was afraid that Amy would go back to her life and completely forget about the time she had landed into another world._

_Or worse, forget about him._

_So as the days led up to her actual leaving, he stayed away as much as he could. He volunteered for diplomatic missions with Toadstool, insisted on doing patrols around the borders of Darkland, he even volunteered to what was literally a suicide mission to infiltrate the neighboring land, anything to make him forget about this wonderful woman who was going to leave and get married and all the things normal girls like her did._

_He could forget about her, he **would** forget about her because he had a duty and that was far more important than anything else._

 

* * *

 

_Amy was going home in less than an hour and the person she most wanted to say goodbye to was nowhere to be found._

_In actuality, she only wanted to visit, especially knowing that she’d be able to return and go back and forth. But she had to know that she was coming back for something, or rather someone. When U Reeka – as she liked to called him – had told her they had been able to find a warp pipe that would take her to New York, she had been ecstatic, but worried too; yes, she definitely wanted to know what was happening with her family, but she also wanted to return._

_But returning would depend on Sir Martin of Pau._

_Her little crush had gone to full blown love by the time she was deciding what to do about going home. She was pretty sure this wasn’t one sided, but so far, all of their witty banter seemed to be just that – friendly ribbing between friends. If he wasn’t rising to her bait, he was blushing madly in a way that just endeared him more to her, but while her efforts seemed clear, it didn’t feel as though he was reciprocating. Maybe she was wrong; maybe the feelings were only on her side and he only did think of her as a friend._

_Well, she was going to find out._

_It hadn’t escaped her knowledge or sight that he seemed to be avoiding her, even when he clearly had nothing else to attend to, he would come up with an excuse to be somewhere else or to do something else that wouldn’t put him in contact with her. It was a far cry when they seemed to instinctively find themselves in the same room, as though called there by some force. If he thought she couldn't find him, he didn’t know her very well._

_Her brothers thought that once too and she could easily find them, even when they went out the house._

_And she caught him, though she had to break into his bed chambers to corner him, but she had found him. “You know, you should do a better job of avoiding me.”_

_Martin nearly jumped out of his skin, dropping the box he was carrying. “Damn it, Amy!” he exclaimed. “A little warning next time would be nice.”_

_“Well, I’m afraid that for one, there may not be a next time,” she said. “And second, at this point, I can’t guarantee if you’d even want to see me. Hence why I had to come in here. I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”_

_“Oh?” he asked, bending down to retrieve the items he dropped._

_“Marty, I’m leaving today.”_

_“I am fully aware,” he said, not turning to look at her. “In fact, I doubt you’d find anyone who hasn’t heard about your great discovery.”_

_“Is that all you can say?”_

_Standing, Martin held his box, taking it over to set on the bed in the middle of the room. “Were you expecting something else?”_

_“Maybe a reason to stay.”_

_“There isn’t one.”_

_“Are you so sure?”_

_Steeling himself, he turned to face her. “Yes,” he said. “There’s nothing for you here, Amy. Your life is back in Brooklyn, with your family and your business. I’m sorry if…I’m sorry if you thought you would have a future here, but you must realize that you don’t. Go back to your world and your Brooklyn; you’ve done your job.”_

_Turning back around, Martin took deep breaths, knowing that she still stood behind him and he didn’t want to see the look on her face. He had tried to be as stern and hard with her as possible; it was the only way she would leave and never look back._

_“See you around then,” she whispered, before turning and heading out._

_This was for the best. She belonged in her world, with her Dodgers and her Coney Island, not with him where any moment their neighbors to the north could declare war on them. No, this was for the best._

_He just needed to keep telling himself that._

 

* * *

 

_It was nearly dinner by the time Amy arrived back in Brooklyn, coming out of a warp pipe from near the castle to a similar underground tunnel she had first discovered. Their Toad volunteer had said there were a row of pipes here, which she could see, and that the second from the left was the one that would take her home; from the way he described the area, it sounded like he had been in downtown Cobble Hill, which was literally a line over from her home of Carroll Gardens._

_The walk from downtown back into Carroll Gardens would take maybe thirty minutes, but it was thirty minutes she needed, in case things were worse than she imagined. She didn’t know Cobble Hill as well as she knew her home borough, but she knew enough to know that the neighborhood didn’t seemed to have changed drastically. That gave her some hope that perhaps time hadn’t gotten so far away from her._

_The sun was starting to set by the time she reached the front porch of her house. From the window, she could see her entire family was there, even Matty; that wasn’t odd in itself, but since leaving college, Matt only came to dinner a few nights, two at most, so his presence meant…something. From what she could see, it didn’t look as though years had gone by in her absence, but maybe it was the view._

_Taking a deep breath, Amy turned the door handle and entered._

 

* * *

 

**_Two weeks later_ **

 

_Coming home seemed like a dream come true._

_Amy’s family had of course embraced her as soon as she walked in, hugging and kissing her, so very glad to have her back with them. She had been surprised to learn that, while she had been in the Mushroom Kingdom for half a year, only a mere six days had passed since her job at the Doyles. Before they demanded to know where she was, she had pleaded to know what had happened here._

_It was as she suspected – when Johnny had gone to drop off lunch for her, both he and the Doyles were shocked to find that she was nowhere to be seen; all of her tools were still in the bathroom and it looked as though she was in the middle of work when she was pulled away. Both Doyles and even the boys assured that the last they had seen her when she had gone back into the bathroom; the door was closed slightly and the house was such that someone would have heard something if she had gone past._

_Overall, the Doyles had known enough about Amy to know that she would have never just left and not told someone. This was especially true when she was working on jobs, regardless of the size. Amy always had called back to the office and would either speak to her father or her brother. The police had obviously been called, especially when there was still no word by the time dinner was over._

_Being over the age of eighteen, her parents were told they would need to wait for the standard 48 hours before they could put in a missing persons report._

_And that’s when Amy got the earful – her parents were not happy at the fact that she had mysterious disappeared and then had suddenly returned. In fact, it was so far away from her normal behavior, they both thought she was doing drugs or was involved with someone who was. There was arguing, denials, and a lot of Italians words, phrases, and curses throw about. And then they all demanded Amy tell them what had happened._

_For the first time, Amy was met with having to actually lie to her family. There were times of course when she had hidden the truth or fibbed if it meant she’d be spared the punishment that she knew was coming, but this situation was different – how exactly was she supposed to explain what happened? That she had followed a Goomba down the Doyle’s very thin pipe before getting sucked into a parallel world; oh and by the way, she had actually been gone for six months, in which she was a proud member of the King’s Royal Guard, where she would routinely fight against Goombas, Koopa Troopas, and other enemies._

_Yeah, that would go down smoothly._

_She was put on the spot and she couldn’t believe she hadn’t thought to have something ready. With her parents and both brothers staring at her and awaiting a story, Amy started by stating she saw something suspicious from the bathroom window and not wanting to wait or lose sight of the suspect, she had gone out said window, hoping to catch him._

_It was a wild story to be sure, but it seemed to placate her mother, for the moment; her father and brothers, however, didn’t look as though they actually believed her. Firstly, the Doyles' didn't **have** a bathroom window. And secondly, if she had been on the trail of some suspicious person, why hadn’t she thought to contact police? Especially when an hour of following turned into a day and then six. She didn’t have an answer for that, but again, luckily her mother came to her rescue, fretting about her baby girl getting caught up in danger._

_Francesca immediately demanded that Amy stay at home, forever, and the only way she would let her daughter out of the house was when she got married. Which started a discussion that it was **way** past the time Amy got married because obviously she needed someone to watch over her because, left to her own devices, Amy was going to get herself killed. Amy tried to dissuade her mother from doing anything crazy, but she wouldn’t hear it._

_That was nearly two weeks ago and Amy thought she would be happy to be back in the life she knew. The first thing she did was go over to the Doyles with a fruit basket as an apology for disappearing; she gave them a shortened version of the story she told her family and was met with similar suspicious looks from the adult Doyles, but the boys all thought she was a hero._

_Problem was, she didn’t really **feel** like a hero._

_Two weeks back in Brooklyn, sure that her family was okay, and she wanted to go back to the Mushroom Kingdom. And not just that – she didn’t feel right about leaving things the way she did was Martin; she couldn’t stop thinking about him and though her head told her he had made it clear he wasn’t interested, that her presence wasn’t wanted and he probably had forgotten her already..._

_But her heart hammered whenever her thoughts turned to the gray eyed guard. Her thoughts constantly wondered to him, what he was doing, how he was, if he was alright and she found she couldn't focus on anything **but** him. In fact, that was the reason she had refused to go the incoming jobs, citing that she felt more comfortable in the office, catching up on work._

_She couldn’t let anyone know that she was just tempted to find a pipe that would take her back; it was too tempting and she was going to listen to her head and not her heart. Her heart was how she got into this mess in the first place and if she had been listening to her head, she wouldn’t have gone down that pipe. And if she had listened to her head, she never would have gotten so close to Sir Fancy Pants Fighting Machine Martin._

_Lucien knew something was wrong with his daughter._

_If the constant sighs and wandering thoughts and concentration hadn’t tipped him off, the fact that his normally happy go lucky daughter seemed sad and depressed definitely did. His wife hadn’t exactly bought the story she gave, but she had been so happy to have their daughter back, she didn’t really care. He knew the boys didn’t buy her story, but for the life of him he couldn’t understand why she would feel the need to make something up._

_Why would she lie to them?_

_Lucien was afraid of the answer, but it was something he needed to know. So…he asked._

_“Ambrosia.”_

_She had been sitting in the office, at his desk, supposedly filling out paperwork while he went over the books. He’d been watching her for around ten minutes, as she stared out of the window pane of the office, her mind apparently anywhere but there. In fact, he had to call her name several times before she had answered. “Sorry, Pop,” she said, blushing once she realized her mind had wandered again._

_“Is something wrong?”_

_Amy looked away for a moment. “Why would you think that?”_

_Lucien placed his hand on her arm, causing her to turn and look at him. He could see it in her eyes, that she was conflicted about something and it worried him; had his baby girl gotten into something bigger than she realized? Had she gotten into some sort of trouble? Placing his other hand on her cheek, he looked at her. “Mia cara,” he whispered._

_A sniff escaped suddenly from her lips. “Oh papa,” she sighed, shaking her head slowly. “Non so cosa fare.”_

_“Dire papa cosa c’_ _é di sbagliato.”_

_So, she did._

_She explained how she had been working in the Doyles’ bathroom when a strange creature emerged and she followed it down the pipe, being sucked in and out in to a portion of the sewers she had never seen before. She described the two green pipes and her journey through the second one until she appeared into the Mushroom Kingdom. She told him how she stumbled upon the king being attacked and that she had helped to stop it and how the royal had been so kind and generous, they allowed her to stay until they could find her a way to return._

_From there, she told of her adventures in the Mushroom Kingdom, the place it was, and the rulers that ruled it. Lucien listened to her story, never once interrupting her. It was a fantastic story, that he couldn’t lie, and if it had been any other person but his daughter, he would’ve laughed and said they had a good story to tell the children._

_But this **was** his daughter and, as strange as the tale was, this seemed a far better and a more truthful account of her missing week. It seemed as though Amy was a little homesick for this new place of adventure, but he could tell that this wasn’t the whole story; from her voice, mannerisms, and tone, the focal point for her sadness was this Sir Martin. In all of her years, he had never once heard his beloved daughter talk about any man in this way, even Fallon, whom she dated and whom he had hoped to welcome into the family one day._

_It seemed clear that his daughter had feelings for this man, but that he had perhaps broken her heart. For that, he would not dare send her back – it seemed this man had used and abused his daughter’s feelings for him and if he ever met him, there would be trouble. But once his fatherly rage had subsided, he listened to the way she described him and he did sound honorable. Perhaps…_

_Perhaps he had let his daughter go, knowing there was a chance she would never return to that world. They had a neighbor who had done just that – she had a man whom she loved in Italy and when she told him she was to go to America, he had ended their relationship, suddenly and harshly. She had been heartbroken when arriving here. Ironically, this man traveled to the United States and two years later, they were reunited. He had admitted that he wanted her to live and enjoy her life, that he was too scared to leave the only life he knew, and he thought perhaps she could find a better man in the new world._

_But his heart broke and within a day of her departure, he was packing his bags with the hope he would be able to find her again._

_That had been thirty-five years ago and they were still in love, even after thirty-three years of marriage._

_“Ambrosia,” he asked, lifting her chin so she could look at him again. “Ami quest’uomo?”_

_“Lo voglio,” she whispered._

_“Then you must see if he truly feels the same,” he said. “Especially when you’re no used to me as malinconico, eh?”_

_Amy gave a watery laugh, rubbing the itchiness of tears from her tears. “What about you?” she asked._

_“If this place allows you to return,” Lucien replied. “Then we will be fine. Just don’t go off and not tell us this time.”_

_“I won’t,” she insisted. “Lo prometto. And I’m sorry I did, but I won’t this time. And if…and if nothing is there, I’ll come back and I’ll never utter another word about it.”_

_Lucien nodded. “You know you will have to tell the others,” he said, kindly. “At least your mother. It’ll…how do they say? Kill the two birds – she’ll know where you are and there’s man involved, so she won’t set you up with the neighbors.”_

_Again, Amy laughed, though it was much more cheerful this time and the elder man hoped he would be able to see his daughter smile again before she left. “Ti amo, papa,” she said, rising from her seat to hug him tightly._

_“Ti amo anch’io,” he replied. “Tu sei la mia figlia. Vorrei solo che la felicit_ _à_ _per voi.”_

_“I know, Pop. Grazie.”_

 

* * *

 

_When their day at the office was over, Francesca made Amy’s favorite dinner – meatballs with a wine white sauce, along with some roasted peppers – in celebration of her return and hopefully, eventual stay. The young woman had requested her brothers to join them, but was adamant that they just come alone, no girlfriends or friends, even though many of their dinners had always included friends or family friends, such as the O’Reillys; when asked why, she just said she needed to tell them something that was ‘solo le orecchie di famiglia’ or family ears only. If her brothers’ hadn’t been suspicious of her behavior before, they were now, extremely so._

_There seemed to be an odd tension during dinner that had never been there before, even when all three kids had been unruly teenagers, going through the motions of puberty, while dealing with siblings who could be annoying, irritating, and frustrating from day to day. Francesca had gone all out, creating an entire traditional meal, consisting of the antipasto, the primo, the secondo, a contorno, and the dolce._

_Her mother had cheated slightly, by making some homemade cannoli – a family recipe that had been passed down from Francesca’s mother and grandfather. All three kids knew how to make it, but they always complained that it didn’t have the same taste that their mother’s held. It was during the secondo, with meatballs and sauce sitting deliciously on her plate, that Amy dropped her statement bomb._

_Glancing at her father, Amy made the announcement that she hadn’t been truthful in her story upon her return. As with Lucien, she began her story from the time she removed the Doyles’ toilet to appearing on the other end of a warp pipe in the Mushroom Kingdom. She didn’t detail all of her adventures, just stated that she had seen someone in trouble and had immediately gone to help, which had led to six months as a member of the King’s Guard._

_She ended her story with the revelation that she wanted to go back and that she made plans to do so by the weekend._

_Amy should have known dinner wouldn’t go the way her conversation with her father had gone; almost immediately both Matty and Johnny cried foul on the whole thing, with Matt even insinuating that she had made this up and the whole thing was about a boy. Like their father, Matt could clearly hear the affection she had for this supposed guard Martin and he emphatically stated that he was using her and she had fallen for it._

_In the end, there was a lot of yelling, arguing, insults, and more before Lucien put a stop to it. He chastised the boys for their statements, saying their sister was of age to make her own decisions and if this was her decision, then that was what they had to accept. Johnny came around by the time cannoli was dished out, but Matty refused to talk to her and vice versa. By then, he was demanding proof – proof that this world existed, that the creatures she described existed, and more so, that this coglione Martin actually existed._

_That was the point Amy threw her cannoli at him and their mother called their dinner to an end, taking all cannoli away from everyone but Lucien and Johnny._

_The night ended with Amy wanting to head back to the Mushroom Kingdom more than ever._

* * *

 

_Friday was the day._

_Her mother had cried the night before, sad to see her baby leave, especially for parts unknown and unseen; Johnny was coming around to thinking maybe something had happened, even if he wasn’t totally on board with some magical land with kings and weird creatures that you could jump on. But he loved his sister and if she wanted to go run around in hills or whatever, he was cool with it, as long as she came back._

_Mateo was the hold out – he was convinced his sister had been or was being deceived by some guy she had met earlier in the week. He wasn’t entirely sure she wasn’t doing drugs, to be honest. To say he wished her luck or even saw her off was a painful understatement. Amy could only hope he’d give over this because if things went her way, the Mushroom Kingdom would be her new home._

_Despite her assertion that she would be fine, Lucien drove her to the alley where she was planning to take the pipe back to her parallel world. They sat in the plumbing truck, the one they used for big plumbing jobs, and what Lucien hoped wouldn’t cause any raised eyebrows when his daughter made her way down the sewers. Looking at his only daughter, Lucien tried his best not to break down; he honestly didn’t want his daughter to leave, especially to a place where he couldn’t keep an eye on her._

_And he had to admit, his eldest had raised some good points – there was some man that his daughter was infatuated with and it seemed as though they would never be able to meet him and there was something that didn’t sit well with him. He of course wanted his daughter to be happy, but it didn’t mean he wasn’t a father first and no father liked the other of some other man taking care of his daughter._

_“This man…” he whispered, turning to look at her. “One day, tuo marito?”_

_“Non lo so,” she answered._

_“But you’d want him to be?”_

_“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t.”_

_Lucien took a deep breath. “Bene,” he said, nodding. “I let you go, but if this man hurts you, there will be no where he can go where I won’t find him. And you tell him that, eh? He breaks your heart, lo troverò e lo spezzare.”_

_“Pop…”_

_“And if that doesn’t work,” Lucien continued. “I’ll put in a call to your Uncle Aldo.”_

_“Pop, come on,” she huffed. “Let’s not start threatening the boyfriend before he actually becomes a boyfriend. Assuming of course he wants to become my boyfriend.” Shaking her head in mirth, she leaned over and gave her father a kiss to his cheek before hugging him._

_“I love you, Pop,” she whispered. “Please don’t worry about me. If things don’t work out, I’ll be back; I won’t give you guys up for something that might not come to pass.”_

_“Ti amo, mia cara,” he replied, delivering a kiss to her forehead. “Don’t forget, you have us here. Your famiglia is always here.”_

_“I know, Pop. Thank you.”_

_Before things got too tense, Amy quickly opened the passenger door and headed towards the sewer grate, before opening and climbing down. She wouldn’t return completely for another two months, this time bringing with her own famiglia with her, hoping for sanctuary._

 

* * *

 

**_A year and a half later_ **

_If past Amy could see her present self, she may not have recognized her._

_Nearly two years after leaving her home of Brooklyn to the seemingly magical world of the Mushroom Kingdom, Amy Andolesi had gone from impulsive plumber to highly regarded personal guard. Along with familiar partner, Sir Martin of Pau, the two were a fearsome sight when met by their enemies, which seemed to be growing in the kingdom._

_The land to the north, Darkland, seemed to be growing in activity; new foes seemed to be flowing into the Mushroom Kingdom and caused near daily appearances of Goombas and Koopa Troopas. The odd thing however was the fact that no leader of Darkland came forward to claim these attacks, but this was just the start of trouble. In the meantime, the duo of Amy and Martin cleared house when needed._

_And speaking of house, their partnership wasn’t just on the battlefield._

_After returning to the Mushroom Kingdom, Amy and Martin had made steps to stop dancing around each other and instead dance **with** each other, something easily done when Queen Dalia had thrown a ball in celebration of the young woman’s return. Their growing feelings that had started six months prior hadn’t dissipated, in fact they had grown in Amy’s absence. A few months later, Martin had surprised her in more ways than one – not only did he propose, but he had done so in Italian._

_With phrases he had learned from her own family._

_Knowing that her father had verbally placed a target on his back and that she had left on a strained note with his eldest brother, Martin made the trip from his home to the home of his – hopefully – future wife. For all Amy knew, he had gone on a diplomatic envoy with Toadsworth, who **was** on a diplomatic envoy, so Martin was on his own, in a new world, with sights and sounds he had never seen. Amy had talked so much about her home, their business, and the city she loved that he was actually able to find Andolesi Plumbing from description alone._

_The entire family was quite shocked and surprised at his arrival, mostly because they were almost convinced that he didn’t exist. While her mother was quite amicable, there was tension with her father and brothers, thankfully because he happened to be the guy that was dating their daughter and sister. Despite facing off against different creatures and foes, the guard would easily admit that the scariest time in his life was facing Amy’s father and asking his permission to marry his daughter._

_Thankfully, Lucien had seen Martin’s heart – a man willing to traverse an unknown world just to receive a father’s permission to marry his daughter spoke volumes of how much he loved Ambrosia._

_Heading back as soon as possible, Martin proposed and Amy become his wife shortly after._

_Only a few months into their marriage, the two announced they would soon become parents._

_This announcement, as well as the arrival of their twin boys caused a ripple that would led to an avalanche in the next two years. In the time the stork had delivered their twins, they had been lost four times, worse wasn’t even they fact that they had been lost – the reason for the loss was because of an attempted kidnapping. In all four cases, a strange wizarding Koopa had tried to steal their children from them._

_While odd, Amy and Martin didn’t think anything about it, until their sons had apparently been on a time traveling adventure while they were visiting Amy’s parents in Brooklyn. This of course is the last thing you want to hear when you leave your twin boys – rambunctious twin boys – with a person they trusted to watch them. The saving grace for Toadsworth was that he had gone along and taken the baby princess with them._

_Twin toddlers who travel through time? That was just something they would have to tell their grandparents and uncles when they finally made the trip; it seemed to run in the family at this point._

_That could have been fine, if not for another kidnapping attempt._

_For whatever reason, this strange wizard koopa continued to plague them and their family, until finally Amy had had enough. She had never been scared or afraid while in the Mushroom Kingdom, until now. The Darkland ruler had sent out his forces and they wanted the young princess, but he also seemed to have an unhealthy obsession with her sons. The last attempt nearly destroyed the castle, knocking a wall down that barely missed both Toadsworth, baby Peach, and her youngest son, Luigi._

_The only reason the younger twin wasn’t crushed was because of the quick actions of her husband, but he gotten a cast for a sprain in his left arm._

_It was too much. In one attack, Amy could’ve lost both her husband and son and she wouldn’t, couldn’t go through that again._

_“Are you sure?”_

_She had gone to Martin about wanting, **needing** to leave, but she didn’t know where they could go in which they would be safe; they couldn’t stay in the Mushroom Kingdom, that she knew for sure. That’s when Martin knew the perfect place they could go, where none of their enemies would find them._

_Brooklyn._

_There was only one pipe that lead from the Mushroom Kingdom to that of Brooklyn and only those in the castle knew about it. In the year since her arrival, that number had actually grown smaller – Queen Dalia had recently passed away, leaving Phineas to raise their baby daughter alone, while the Toad that had first found the pipe was also deceased, thanks to an ambush by the newly named Koopa Troop._

_But Martin had a plan for that, though it seemed worse for him than it was for her. To keep their enemies from following, they would destroy the warp pipes they knew about, stopping anyone from the Mushroom Kingdom from coming through, but it also meant that they would never be able to return. Brooklyn was Amy’s home, but the Mushroom Kingdom was Martin’s._

_“Are you sure?” she asked, looking at him, worriedly. It had been a few days since the attack on the castle and luckily the black eye he had sustained seemed to be fading and he could remove the cast in another week. She hated seeing him like this and the memories that came with it. “What about your family? They’re still here.”_

_Grabbing her hand and pulling her close, he whispered, “ **You** are my family. You and the boys. I hate seeing you like this and I hate the feeling I get whenever I think sending the boys to see Peach is me sending them to their deaths.”_

_Amy had never seen Martin so effected, with the way he turned from her as he struggled in saying that. Placing a hand on his cheek, she turned his face back to her. “Ti amo,” she whispered. “We have to tell Phineas and Toadsworth.”_

_Martin nodded. “I’ve…” he started. “I’ve actually been thinking about this for a bit, so I’ve been training some of the new guard. I know Phineas doesn’t think we’ll have need for them, but…”_

_“With us gone…” Amy finished. “Good thinking. This is why you’re the brains.”_

_“Oh?” he said, smirking. “I thought I was the brawn. Or the looks.”_

_“The looks, huh?”_

_“Well,” he said, pulling her closer. “I think it’s clear that I certainly won you over with them.”_

_“You won me with your charm, Martino.”_

_“Well, there you go,” he replied, smiling. “I am charming.”_

_“Hmmm…”_

_“I charmed you.”_

_The familiar cry from one of the boys, which sounded like Luigi, interrupted their flirty banter. “I’ll check him,” she said, giving him a quick peck on the lips. “Then we’ll discuss how we should do this.”_

* * *

 

_King Phineas wasn’t happy to hear about their leaving, nor was baby Peach, who had grown close to the Andolesi twins. The king understood though, especially his own daughter at risk, but he had hoped his friends would continue to live and help in the kingdom; seeing the way his daughter lit up whenever the boys – Mario, the oldest by three minutes, and little Luigi – came by._

_She had so little enjoyment since the death of her mother and even Phineas could still feel the lingering absence of the only woman he had ever loved, her eyes, her smile, and laughter haunting him every time he looked at his baby daughter. These last few months he had gotten through thanks to the help of Martin and Amy and their announcement seemed to deflate him._

_There was only one thing that worried them – Mario and Luigi were quite bright and it seemed as though their experiences hadn’t hurt them, but their parents worried that one day it might. Phineas had made a passing mention that little Peach was having nightmares after their encountering with these Shroob aliens. And then the answer came as a proverbial eureka moment._

_With the arrival of Dr. Reeka and his assistant Gadd._

_As before, the good doctor seemed to have the answer to all of their problems. A memory machine, a test proto-type as Gadd explained, but something he had come with in the case of capturing spies before sending them back to their masters and leaders. He’d only been able to test it on one Toad, who was told to do something and then Reeka programmed the machine to erase that memory. It seemed to have succeeded, but he had been wanting to try on a bigger and grander scale._

_Neither set of parents liked the excited glee Reeka was displaying, especially when he was set to use this machine on their children, but once he saw their combined disappointed glare. “Sorry,” he apologized. “Scientific excitement, you know. But in seriousness, you are requesting that your children’s memories be erased, from a certain point of time, yes?”_

_“We don’t want the boys to remember their time here,” Martin said. “Can you do that?”_

_“Of course,” Reeka replied, turning to the king._

_Phineas took a deep breath. “I only want my daughter’s happiness,” he whispered. “I don’t want her to suffer from these nightmares about these aliens…” Looking at Amy and Martin, he continued with, “And I suppose she should also be spared from knowing about the twins. Perhaps one day…”_

_“Perhaps,” Martin agreed, sadly._

_There wouldn’t be a one day and they all knew it._

_It only took a few minutes for Reeka and Gadd to set up his machine and even quicker to get the babies to come in and take a look at the funny looking machine. Reeka assured them that, because of their age, the babies would be lulled to sleep and when they awoke, they would have no memory of this or anything before this. Reeka turned on the machine and the babies were entranced with the funny glowing lights and humming, while their parents wore the protective gear that would prevent them from losing memories._

_It took thirty minutes but the babies fell asleep, allowing for Phineas to put Peach in her crib upstairs, while Martin and Amy took a twin each and made their way towards the warp pipe to Brooklyn._

_“Do you think it worked, Doctor?” asked a young Elvin Gadd._

_“I hope so, lad,” Reeka replied, clapping the young intern on the shoulder. “Come help me take the machine down. You stand there and I’ll turn it off.”_

_“Right.”_

_Elvin quickly stood in front of the memory machine, unaware that Reeka was flipping the switch to on, causing the intern to be caught in the pull of having his memory erased. “I’m sorry, Elvin,” Reeka whispered. “But if our princess is to be queen one day and if the Andolesis are to have a real life, we have to make sure that all the loose ends are tied up…”_

* * *

 

_In the borough of Carroll Gardens, within the city of Brooklyn, New York, Lucien and Francesca Andolesi met the first of their four grandsons – Mario Francesco, named for Lucien’s father and the masculine form of his wife’s name, and Luigi Benedetto, named for Francesca’s father and her grandmother. At the same time, New York saw the arrival of a new immigrant, someone from another land, who was coming to this new world with hope for a better life for his family._

_This Martin Paul Andolesi, father of twin boys, husband to Ambrosia, and the son in law to Lucien and Francesca, found himself with a new start._

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRANSLATIONS:
> 
> capisci - informal version of 'got it'?  
> chiacchiere - chatterbox; usually used as an affectionate nickname, especially for kids  
> Mia cara - my dear  
> Non so cosa fare - I don't know what to do  
> Dire papa cosa c’ é di sbagliato - Tell papa what's wrong  
> Ami quest’uomo - Do you love this man?  
> Lo voglio - I do  
> malinconico - melancholy, sadness  
> Lo prometto - I promise  
> Ti amo anch’io - I love you too  
> Tu sei la mia figlia. Vorrei solo che la felicit à per voi - You are my daughter. I only want for your happiness  
> coglione - fucker/asshole  
> tuo marito - your husband  
> Non lo so - I don't know  
> Bene - fine/okay  
> lo troverò e lo spezzare - I'll find and break him
> 
> Up Next - We see the aftermath of the last three chapters and Daisy realizes they are in a lot more trouble than originally thought. Can you guess why?


	9. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The stuff hits the fan as the older twins learn the full truth of their birth and childhood. Part I of II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey gang! Firstly, I'd like to thank the folks reading and giving kudos; thanks for stopping by!
> 
> Second, I actually split this chapter into two parts, as it got hella long, as per usual. I also corrected the Carroll Gardens/Flatbush issue by having the younger Andolesis live in Flatbush, while the elders lived in CG; this still puts the plumbing business in CG and I really plan on going into that further. If I do, I will create a reasoning for the different boroughs.

#  **Chapter VIII:**

 

 

 

The rain and cloudy skies that had permeated the Mushroom Kingdom the night before still hung in the air the next day, however a small glimpse of sunlight managed to peaked through a few clouds, off and on. It was one of these times when the warmth and light of the sun hit the face of Mario, pulling him from his restless sleep.

Opening his blue eyes, he took notice of his surroundings and immediately sat up.

He wasn’t where he should have been.

On most mornings, his eyes would open and he would either see the high ceilings of the castle or was met with the golden locks of the princess. In some cases, when slept on his stomach, he was met with a pillow or the entryway of the master bathroom.

This morning, not only was he not in either the castle or even the home he had shared with his brother, he wasn’t even in a bed. Or his own pajamas. Before he could start to panic, he realized that if he had been kidnapped, he probably wouldn’t have been given pajamas to sleep in, even if it was just a t-shirt and a pair of sleep pants.

Looking around, the plumber realized he was in a small home, where he seemed to have ended up on the couch. Turning to his left, he noticed a line of pictures that were displayed on a table directly behind the couch; and upon seeing some of these images, Mario knew where he was.

Last night, he had managed to stumble upon the one place he didn’t want to be – his parents’ home or rather, the home of babies Mario and Luigi. That pretty much meant these were not the same parents he knew, they weren’t the same people he had grown up with, nor were they the same people he had buried as a young man in Brooklyn.

Didn’t it?

Examining the images on the table, the plumber felt his heart constrict; these were the images that he had seen all of life – a loving image of his parents, with his mother’s arms wrapped around his father’s neck, both of them smiling; it looked to be taken on their wedding day from the way they were dressed. A few were of his mother and her family, featuring his grandparents and uncles. Surprisingly, there were a few with just his parents and them as babies.

Or rather, them with _the_ babies.

To be honest, Mario wasn’t sure how he was supposed to feel. He hadn’t meant to come here last night and he couldn’t explain why in the world he would; being face to face with people that looked like his parents, acted like his parents…well…it was surreal. Especially considering that in his timeline, his parents were dead and had been for quite some time. Topping that was finding out that his past wasn’t what he remembered.

Martin and Amy had told him a shortened story – how they had met and how both he and Luigi had actually been born in the Mushroom Kingdom, and to finish it off, they were planning on moving back to Brooklyn. Neither of them wanted to get into it further, citing both the time and the fact that this was probably something his brother needed to hear as well.

They had wanted him to stay, even though the rain had stopped, and at least dry out his clothes, which had definitely been soaked through. Amy wasn’t about to hear her son state how he was going back outside, so she had Martin grab an extra pair of his sleep clothes and set about putting his wet clothes in the kitchen, so they could hopefully be hung in the morning.

And now it _was_ morning.

Again he looked around, taking his time to inspect the home itself. The interior was painted a light beige, with a few light blue highlights around the edges; the couch faced the window and Mario could see the sun shining through, though it was a bit hazy either due to the closed curtains or the fact that it was hiding in between the clouds.

There was a coffee table centered by the couch, with was the longer of the two that were in the living room. Glancing at the walls, he noticed that there were more family photos, as well as some that included another couple. He didn’t know who the blonde woman was, but he recognized King Toadstool, even though his hair was white now versus the blonde coloring he held in the images.

It was clear that this home didn’t have as many pictures as the home that he remembered having in Flatbush, about 20 minutes away from his grandparents’ home and the family plumbing business in Carroll Gardens. Their home, which had been a three-bedroom brownstone, had been filled with various photos, though now that he thought about it, those photos had grown as the family had.

Missing were images of their school photos, their sporting events, family trips, their cousins, and more.

This home was the start of something – the beginnings of a life that Mario was angry, and saddened, at not remembering.

“Good morning.”

Startled, Mario looked over, seeing his father come from the hallway and passing him as he made his way to the kitchen.

“Morning,” his whispered, nodding to him.

“Hungry?”

“Yeah, I guess.”

Martin nodded to his son, continuing his trek to the kitchen to start on breakfast. Mario stood slightly, stretching as he did so. He folded the blanket he used as his sheet, placing it under the pillow he had been given, leaving both on the couch where he had slept. He made his way slowly to the kitchen, noting it was done in a pale yellow, which seemed to give a brighter feel to it. There was a small table in the center of the room, with four chairs, two of which had booster seats attached to them.

“You can take one of the boosters off,” Martin replied, looking over his shoulder from he stood at the stove. “Pancakes, okay?”

“Uh…yeah.”

Doing as suggested, Mario removed one of the booster chairs and sat down gingerly, eyes firmly on the wooden table top. He couldn’t remember this table, meaning that perhaps this wasn’t something that the family had taken with them when they had ultimately left the Mushroom Kingdom. None of this made sense and it was giving the plumber a headache.

“Morning,” replied Amy, walking into the kitchen. Stepping up to her husband, she gave him a kiss on the back of the neck, before making her way to the table. Leaning over, she dropped a motherly kiss on Mario’s head before taking the seat next him, not once noticing the way her eldest son stiffened at the contact.

“Sleep well?” she asked, giving him a once over.

Mario nodded slowly. “S’okay,” he whispered.

“I was gonna hang your clothes outside,” his mother continued, gesturing towards the back door. “But it doesn’t look like it’s gonna stay sunny for the day.”

Mario shook his head. “You don’t have to that,” he said. “I just need to get back to the castle. I keep spare clothes there.”

“Well, we won’t let you go without having something to eat first,” Martin said, coming over with a plate full off pancakes. “What caused you to come over in the rain in the first place?”

“What caused you to not mention that you knew the king and queen?” he countered.

“Mario…”

“You know,” he said, pushing his plate, half an eaten pancake left there. “I’m not that hungry. I need to get out of here. I’ve got things to do.”

“At least wait until we get dressed, then we can some of your father’s things…”

“It’s not necessary,” Mario stated, pushing back from the table and standing.

“You’re gonna go to the castle in your pajamas?” asked Martin.

“Maybe I will!” the younger man exclaimed. “I don’t have time for this, _any_ of this! I’ve got things happening in this kingdom that need to be dealt with and they need to be dealt with now. Today.”

“Well,” his mother said, also standing to look her son in the eye. Mario had gotten his height from her, but he still managed to tower slightly over her. “We aren’t letting you go over there alone. And no, this isn’t up for discussion, so sit down, finish your pancakes and we’ll head off once your father and I are dressed.”

Even if she wasn’t his mother, she certainly _dictated_ like his mother.

 

* * *

 

Mario could count on his hands and feet the number of times his parents had embarrassed him. It hadn’t really mattered when he had been a child, but as soon as he had hit puberty, he and Luigi both had pretty much signed their warrants on having too big a family to ignore any and all moments where they would’ve preferred to just die on the spot.

However, even with all of the events that his parents had contributed to his dying of embarrassment, nothing would ever top his walking into Peach’s castle and introducing them to both her and Daisy.

His not-true parents were adamant on accompanying him – his father watching him while his mother got dressed and then switching; they didn’t trust him to not just take off should one of them not keep their eye on him and that incensed more than anything. Again, they tried to get him to switch out of his sleepwear, but he stubbornly refused, not caring if he’d be walking through the city in his pajamas.

Luckily, he was at least spared that, thanks to a hidden warp pipe that was a short way from the house.

Mario’s rage just continued to grow as he marched up the connecting bridge to the castle, through the front gardens, then through the front of the castle, all with his not-at-all-the-same parents following him.

Peach and Daisy were sitting in the foyer, having tea or something with Toadsworth when the plumber stomped his way over to them.

“We dressing down now?” the desert princess teased, looking at his attire.

“I got caught in the rain last night,” he grumbled.

“Well,” Peach quipped, giving the plumber a look. “That’s what happens when someone goes storming out in said rain.”

Daisy looked between the two, seeing that something had obviously happened to make Mario take off and Peach to be somewhat cold towards him. Her return hadn’t been planned, or rather, it hadn’t been planned so early; going off on advice from both Mac and Vanda that something was wrong in the Mushroom Kingdom had prompted her to return with Toad and the babies that morning.

That had followed a strange occurrence with the babies, specifically Weegie, coming to her the night before, questioning if she was okay. She hadn’t thought anything of it – nor did she had any issues about allowing both Weegie and Mario to sleep with her – but with the warnings from her advisors, she wondered if there was more going on.

Luigi had mentioned that Baby Weegie seemed to know of the Shroobs deception before the rest of them, though he wasn’t sure how he knew about it. Certainly, their baby selves also seemed to know that something was going with their adult counterparts before they did sometimes.

Toadsworth immediately stood and greeted the Andolesis, happy to always see his two old friends. “I don’t believe you’ve met the princess,” he said, waving his arm towards Peach, who stood in greeting.

“I am deeply remissed that we’ve seemed to have missed each other,” she responded, shooting a look at Mario, who just scowled. “I’m Princess Peach Toadstool.”

“The pleasure is ours, of course, Princess,” Amy said, smiling at the monarch. “But we’ve met before, though you were much smaller than you are now.”

“You have Dalia’s eyes,” Martin whispered, awed by how much the young blonde looked like her mother.

“You knew my mother?”

“We both did,” Amy replied. “And we both shared in your father’s loss, though Martin knew her longer than I did. She was extremely kind to me when I first arrived and I’ve never forgotten that.”

There was a story there, most likely something that Peach would need to explore later, but now was not the time. “Hi, I’m Daisy,” Daisy interrupted, also standing and smiling at the two. She couldn’t remember ever seeing them at the kart races, but then again she usually never paid attention to the crowd unless she knew someone in it, such as her father.

“First arrived?” Mario asked, giving his mother a stare. Apparently, he wasn’t going to let this go.

“Mariano,” Amy said, sternly. “I’m not going to tell you again. I said we’d get into things and we will, though I’m sure it would go a lot smoother if you weren’t dressed as though you’ve just woken up.”

The plumber grounded his teeth together before spinning around, stomping off to head to his bedroom, muttering in Italian the whole way. As he headed up the stairs, he could his mother screaming, “Language!”

Mario headed to his own room, knowing he still had a few sets of spare clothing sitting in his closet. There were too many things happening all at once and it was incredibly frustrating that he couldn’t seem to get a handle of any of them – he had been disheartened to see that Luigi still hadn’t returned, pushing the realization that he wasn’t lost, but in the hands of their mysterious villain.

That was the other frustration – they didn’t know who this mysterious villain was and they didn’t know who else would turn up missing. Nor were they closer to discovering _why_ he was targeting the people he was or what his ultimate plan was.

Mario couldn’t remember such a maddening time; certainly, Bowser never was so much trouble, even at his very worse.

Changing quickly into his signature overalls, a short sleeved red shirt, and his heavy boots, Mario hurried back downstairs. He could hear some chattering, meaning that the babies had joined the adults, but it also sounded like one of them had made a cry of alarm, which caused him to quicken his steps.

Upon reentering the foyer, he heard his mother say, “Mario Francesco!”

Stopping in his stride, he turned to his smaller version, who was sitting on Peach’s lap and eating a cookie. “What’d you do?” he asked the toddler, assuming his mother was talking about him.

“She’s talking to you, Mario,” Martin replied, looking at his grown son and not the baby. “Not baby you.”

The plumber looked at him in confusion, before looking around. Were they talking about a _third_ Mario that he wasn’t aware of? “Me?” he asked, shocked and pointing a finger at himself. “What’d I do?”

“Did you not think it was important to mention that your brother was missing?” his mother asked.

“Did you not think it was important to mention that we were born here?” was his retort.

“Do not take that tone with your mother,” Martin chastised.

Daisy couldn’t help but giggle. “Someone’s gonna get it.”

That was it.

That was the last straw and Mario had hit his boiling hit. “Daisy,” he growled, turning blazing blue eyes on the desert princess. “If you start something with me today, I swear…”

“You’ll do what?” the princess countered, not fearful in the least at the anger that seemed to be rolling off the plumber. She certainly hadn’t been happy to learn that Luigi was missing, which only heightened the mysterious words and warnings she had received when back in Sarasaland.

With tensions high, it was clear that both were itching for a fight. Thankfully, the cooler heads of Toadsworth and Martin intervened, suggesting that maybe Mario do something constructive with the pent up energy he seemed to have, which did little to make the plumber happy. For the second time in two days, Mario stormed out of the castle in a huff, emotions mixing and swirling together.

This time, he headed into the gardens, wandering about the bushes and flowers. If he was hoping for a peaceful respite, it wasn’t going to come from being here.

He wanted to do…something! The problem was he didn’t know what to do. He wanted to save his brother, but he didn’t know where he was; he wanted to learn more about his past, but he couldn’t do so without Luigi being there. He wanted to stop this new threat, but again, he didn’t know who it was or where they were.

It was too much. Too much lost time, too many questions and not enough answers, and not enough clues.

It was all so frustrating!

“Dannazione!” he shouted, not caring if his statement carried back into the castle. Sitting down hard on a nearby bench, Mario put his head in his hands. He actually felt like he was going to cry – he even felt a tear roll down his cheek. It felt like everything was stacked against them and kept being stacked, with no way to knocking it down.

The plumber couldn’t remember the last time he had been so frustrated, even with all of the plumbing jobs and adventures he had gone on since his arrival in the Mushroom Kingdom. It was hurting his heart and he didn’t even have his brother to help him sort things out.

That’s how Daisy found him about twenty minutes later, head still in his hands.

Peach had begged her to find him, hoping that he hadn’t wandered far; thankfully, they had heard his frustrated shout earlier, meaning that he was still in the area. She felt slightly bad for trying to start something with him earlier – he was obviously upset at Luigi’s disappearance, just as she was and like her, the inability to do anything was starting to wear on them.

Walking over, she delivered a playful slap on the back of his head, before sitting down next to him.

“Brat,” he whispered, his head coming up and turning towards her.

“Takes one to know one,” she retorted.

The two sat on the bench for a moment, compatible silence surrounding them as they watched birds and butterflies hover over the flowers. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about Luigi,” Mario whispered, dropping his head again. “I had really hoped he would’ve returned, but now…”

“I know,” she said. “He’s fine. He can take care of himself, even if he doesn’t think he can.” Look at him, she asked, “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” was the automatic answer. “No. I’m not sure.” Sighing, he continued with, “There’s just too much going on, too many questions, and no answers. I’d almost suggest a vacation after this, if I thought we’d be left alone to enjoy it.”

“You could take Peach,” she said, giving him a look. “Just the two of you. In fact, you probably should to make up for whatever obnoxious and stupid thing you said or did to make her so mad at you.”

Mario huffed. “Don’t mince words, Daisy,” he said, sarcastically. “Tell me _exactly_ what you’d like me to do.”

“Apologize, idiot,” she retorted, bumping his shoulder with hers. “You know she’ll forgive you. She knows that loud mouth of yours gets you into trouble.”

The plumber couldn’t help but laugh. Very few people could talk to him like this without the consequence of having his fist aimed at their head; even Luigi had been the brunt of physical altercations, the kind brothers could get into when their emotions got the better of them.

Standing, he replied, “Daisy, you are the sole epitome of why I never considered having a sister.” Leaning over, he dropped an affectionate kiss on the top of her head. “But I’m glad I do. Even if sometimes it means I can’t hit you.”

The princess chuckled. “You don’t hit me cause you know I’ll beat your ass,” she quipped, standing as well.

Mario had a readymade answer for that, something along the lines that she was most likely talking about the wrong brother, when the familiar sounds of airships converging stopped their banter. “Figlio di puttana!” he hissed, taking off into the castle, Daisy on his heels. He knew Junior couldn’t be trusted to keep his word, especially not with Kammy whispering in his ear.

Sure enough, once they reached the front of the castle, he wasn’t surprised to see Bowser’s lead ship, hovering outside, with two fleet ships right behind it. Of all the things, of all days, Junior would show up to kidnap Peach. Mario didn’t care if he was a child; he was turning the babies on him with carte blanche to show him what people got when they messed with their princesses.

Mario readied his stance, not surprised when both Baby Mario and Baby Weegie did the same on either side of him. As much as he was angry and even disappointed by the young prince turning on them, he was itching for a fight and Junior would definitely bring it.

What they expected was a mini tyrant; what they got was King Citron walking down the flight ramp, as the lead ship lowered itself to the ground.

“Dad!”

Citron turned to the sound of his name and was ready for the impact of his daughter crashing into him. As much as they could annoy each other – him trying to get her to understand the responsibilities of ruling, her being completely adamant about not wanting to do that – he would be lying if he hadn’t been worried about her. Not that she couldn’t take of herself, he made sure of that with Mac’s help after that whole Tatanga business, but he was her father and he would always worry about her.

“I’m okay, flower,” he whispered, squeezing her in a bear hug.

“How’re you here?” she asked, pulling back to look at him. “How did you even escape? Are you sure you’re okay?”

“First,” he chuckled. “Yes, I’m fine. A little malnourished, but nothing that Peach’s cooks can’t handle. For questions one and two, I’ve got your boy to thank for that.” Nodding his head to the left, he watched as his daughter’s face lit up and let her go, watching as she ran to the man in green, nearly tackling him with the force of her hug.

He watched the couple reunite, a small smile on his face. He probably wouldn’t admit it to her, but watching her with Luigi always reminded him of how he and Asta had been in their youth, when they had been so in love with each other and wanting to start a family together. Those bittersweet memories always seemed to occur whenever he saw the two, especially now knowing that the plumber had formally asked permission to marry Daisy.

He’d always remember that day, not that he’d given his permission to let his daughter marry this man, no, he’d remember it for the events that occurred beforehand...

_It had been at the last kart race, one of the only ones he had actually attended. Daisy had begged him, and with no actual kingdom business to attend to, Citron had agreed. Sarasaland and the Mushroom Kingdom had been long time allies and Citron had known Peach’s parents, but he had turned down the special box she for any visiting dignitary. Citron, king as he may be, would rather sit with the people, conversing with them, often times learning what they felt, needed, and wanted from a ruler._

_And as expected, sitting with the populous of the Mushroom Kingdom, the king learned a lot._

_For starters, the arrival of baby versions of the famous plumbing brothers seemed to be causing a stir, with a lot of speculation. The top version being that they were actually the children of Peach and Mario or Luigi and Daisy or both; Citron of course didn’t believe that, any of it. There was no way Daisy would go off and get pregnant and not tell him; he would murder her on the spot if she did. Along with these stories were bets on who was going to win the race this year, comparing the competition the year before._

_It had been interesting watching – sixteen racers, in a variety of different cars, all trying to out race each other on twisting, curving tracks. There were two racers per car this tournament, an apparent first, with Daisy and Luigi paired up in one car, Mario and Peach in another, and the babies in a third. There were turtle shells, invincible stars, fireballs, and more as everyone jockeyed for position._

_In the end, a Yoshi and a Toad won the race, with two apes in second, and the menacing king of Darkland and his son coming in third._

_Before the end of the race, at intermission, Citron had gone to find his daughter. She and Luigi had been very close, edging their way between fourth and fifth with their counterparts, even having the lead at one point until a blue turtle shell at ended that. He found her at one of the medic tables, always set up at the end to address minor injuries that were sustained; he could see that she was being attended to, until he realized that **she** was the one doing the attending._

_On a wooden table sat the crying figure of Baby Luigi, with Daisy hovering over him, cooing and telling him everything was going to be okay._

_Citron tried to tell what the issue could be, when he remembered the previous race – the car holding Bowser and his son had run into the little baby buggy, pushing them into nearby woods and even a tree. It appeared that the baby hadn’t come out of that scrap unharmed. The king watched as his daughter proceeded to apply some antiseptic to the bruise, along with a band-aid to the baby’s left knee, and a kiss to make everything better._

_The little one outstretched his arms, an indication that he wanted to be picked up and held, which Daisy immediately did, swaying back and forth with him in her arms. Feeling that perhaps now was a good time to speak with her, Citron made another move towards, but pulled up short when he saw Luigi approach her from her right. The plumber rubbed the baby’s back, possibly assuring him that things would be fine and that the pain would dissipate._

_The scene was such that the king wondered if what he’s seeing was a future event – his daughter and potential son-in-law, comforting their son after a fall. Citron only shook out of his vision when Luigi noticed him, waving, and heading over, requesting an audience with him. That was when the plumber had asked permission for Daisy’s hand and Citron knew he couldn’t deny, not after watching that scene._

That seemed to be playing out now, with the couple’s arms around each other and the two babies clamoring for attention from the green plumber. His respect for Luigi had definitely grown since being rescued and escorted back to friendly soil, even if their mode of transportation came from an enemy’s ship. The king was happy in the knowledge that this young man would not only be his son-in-law one day, but he would actually be a reasonably good leader.

Not so soon, of course, but one day.

 

* * *

 

There were very good reasons to have a castle.

Balls, parties, diplomatic missions, all of these occasions were perfect venues for using the best use of a castle. Another reason is for temporarily housing of newly rescued royalty and friends. With the sudden arrival of captives into the Mushroom Kingdom, Peach of course offered rooms for the night to anyone who wanted to stay; Wario waved her off, hurrying back to Diamond City to “protect my business from those crazy alien shadows!”

Both Yoshi and Moshi decided to stay, wanting to help in anyway with the threat they had just escaped from, while Donkey Kong was anxious to get back to his bananas, though he did slyly state if the plumbers ran into trouble, they knew where to find him.

Prince Haru, Prince Pine, Prince Tristan, and King Citron all took the princess on her offer, happy for the first good meal they’d had in days and sleep in actual beds; King Chestnut opted to stay for lunch, but that was all. He was eager to get back to his wife, even if Luigi assured him that she was worried, but fine.

Lunch was set in the grand ballroom in order to accommodate all the new guests and it seemed to be a lively affair; Peach was able to catch up with both Haru and Pine, learning things about each that sometimes can’t be fully expressed in a letter.

In fact, it seemed painfully obvious that the princess was ignoring the plumber in red, who normally sat to her left and now sat several seats down from his usual place, next to his brother. It was clear that Mario was eager to learn what had happened to his brother while gone, but he also wanted to know the underlying story that his parents had promised him.

But it had to wait.

With the exception of Citron, the other three royals cited they needed to try and catch up on their sleep, something that Toadsworth, being the excellent host that he was, completely agreed with. Unfortunately, that left an otherwise tense lunch, with Mario and Peach all but ignoring one another, leaving a very confused Luigi sending a look to his girlfriend for answers.

“It’s nice to see you’ve kept up the gardens,” Martin mentioned, looking over at Peach.

The princess smiled, happy for the distraction. “Yes,” she said. “I’ve actually added to it; I’ve put more flower beds in the back gardens.”

“Have you?” the former knight asked. “I don’t think the gardens had been that large.”

“I could certainly show the gardens, if you’d like?”

Martin smiled, bowing his head in thanks. “My lady, I would be honored.”

“Are you finished?” she asked, anxious to get out into the sun and focus her thoughts on something else. “Not that I want to rush you, I figured you’d enjoy the view during the day.”

Pushing back his chair, Martin stood before bowing to the royal. “I’m eager to see them,” he said. Leaning over to his wife, he delivered a quick kiss to her hair while Peach stood and awaited. “Goodbye, sugar.”

“Would you like me to make you a map?” she quipped, as she watched him take Peach’s arm and head off.

“I have an impeccable sense of direction,” came the retort.

“Said the blind man.”

“I heard that!”

The two headed out to the back gardens, with Martin’s jaw literally dropping as he saw the square footage and foliage. “Highness…this is…” he started.

Peach blushed, before leading him further in. “Please,” she said. “I insist you call me Peach. After all, you knew my mother and…well…” She had wanted to say the obvious statement that she was involved with his son, but she was still a little miffed at him.

Martin sent her a look when she trailed off, her blush growing in intensity, though he wasn’t sure if it was out of embarrassment or lingering anger. “Ah,” he said, nodding knowingly. “I take it you’ve run afoul of Mario’s temper. Or…he’s run afoul of yours? I remember your mother could give a good tongue lashing if her dauthers were up.”

“My mother had a temper?” she asked, leading him around a corner.

“Oh, it was nothing as bad as Mario’s, I’m sure,” he chuckled. “You can thank his mother, and perhaps me, for that. Actually, yes, you should thank her for that; you can thank me for that smart mouth of his.”

Peach giggled at that. “It’s a simple misunderstanding,” she said. “Though he did behave badly, I can’t really stay mad at him, considering the circumstances.”

“He found the portraits, I take it.”

Peach looked at him sharply.

“When I tell you the boys, the older ones that is,” he began. “Have no knowledge of our time here, I mean that completely. I can tell by Mario’s restlessness that he wants to know everything right now, but…well, Luigi has just returned and…”

“You’d rather spare him?” she questioned.

“I’d rather not do this at all, to be truthful,” he whispered. “I can honestly say that when Amy and I made this decision, at no point did we think we’d need to actually explain it.” Patting the hand that was wrapped around his arm, he said, “But we’ll get to that later. For now, I believe you asked about your mother…”

For the next hour, Peach did exactly that; she had been a mere baby when her mother died and she only knew of her from stories from Toadsworth and her father, a few dignitaries – like King Citron – who also knew her. Martin relayed how he had met her mother, the kind of woman she was, and how so in love her parents were. The monarch couldn’t help the happiness and sadness that warred in her heart – she always craved learning about her mother, but the more she learned, the more she wished she could’ve known the woman.

By the time the two came back inside, the castle cooks were beginning preparations for dinner. The castle seemed quiet when they reentered, usually a sign that the twin babies were down for a nap; that was confirmed when they walked into the study to find Amy sitting and talking with Daisy. The two ladies stated that the babies had started to fuss around the same time Daisy noticed that Luigi was practically sleeping in the nearby chair.

Mario had followed Luigi up and had apparently stayed upstairs, as neither had seen him for the last few hours. That did give Peach a slight cause for alarm. While Mario knew his way around the castle, she was worried that perhaps he would take his frustration and restlessness out on someone. The four sat and chatted, with both Amy and Martin remarking that they could see both princesses wanted to ask about their boyfriends, finally in a position to ask the very parents who had sired them.

Peach made the compromise, by asking what Brooklyn was like, and what her family was like. That was an easy topic, with Amy happily regaling the two about home cooked meals, the lights and smells of the city, and even a little bit about her trip to Italy. She confessed that she was hoping to take the twins and Martin along the next time her family visited her Italian relatives, something that touched Martin, who had been extremely grateful at the way her family had embraced him as one of them.

About thirty minutes before dinner, Professor Gadd had shown up, seemingly knowing when dinner was about to start and that their previous mystery had reached a tipping point. He’d actually been using his off time somewhat wisely, trying to decipher what the star children legend actually was; he had only some partial luck, but he was quick eager to let the others know he wasn’t just spinning his heels.

Coming upon the two princesses and two strangers, he had been quite surprised to be greeted by the strange couple as though they knew him, which in this case turned out to be true. Stranger still was the fact that _he_ didn’t remember _them_ ; they had known he was an intern for the renowned Dr. Ulysses Reeka and even claimed to know the man and thus him. Gadd could only apologize and, as he had told Luigi previously, stated that his memory wasn’t what it used to be, placating the couple for the moment.

Internally however Gadd was extremely nervous and confused – this was the third incident he’d had with the Mario twins where he couldn’t remember a key moment in time. Not recognizing Luigi when presenting him with his mission to extinguish the ghosts within his mansion was one thing, but knowing the lad and his brother as babies and then meeting their parents was something different. Could Mario’s sudden interest in time paradoxes be true? Was it catching?

With five minutes before dinner was to be served, the Andolesi twins – big and small – finally emerged from their cocoons, along with the three princes and Daisy’s father. The tension during lunch was still there, but it wasn’t as strong as before; it seemed sleep tempered Mario’s ill mood, though now he seemed to be even more sullen, especially when Peach once again took up conversation with Haru. However, once the prince began to describe his confinement, the plumber dropped any preconceived notions.

Haru explained what had happened that faithful day, how he had been questioned about star children and such nonsense, to the point where he was afraid he would be tortured or killed for information he didn’t possess. The story was the same with Pine, Tristan, and Ron – once they had been captured, they were questioned on their knowledge of these star children, but when it was clear that they had no idea what these children were, they had relatively left alone.

Pine admitted that he despaired until the fateful arrival of Luigi, who blushed at being called out so suddenly. Much as he wanted to be remembered the way his brother was, he still wasn’t accustomed to being praised as a hero. Both babies then launched into how they protected _both_ Peach and Daisy from bad guys, telling their parents all they had missed by being at home.

Citron, who sat on the other side of Baby Weegie, tapped the toddler on the shoulder. “I believe thanks are in order, young Master,” he said, winking at the baby. “Daisy’s my pride and joy, so it’s nice to know she’s got such good protectors surrounding her.”

Like his older counterpart, Weegie suddenly blushed and got shy at the praise from the larger man; his brother of course took that as a cue to go into further, more dramatic detail on how everything played out, starting from how they defended Peach against Bad Bowser to helping Daisy in Sarasaland. “Alright,” Luigi chuckled, watching as Amy had to grab the boy around the waist to stop him from falling out of his chair.

“Calm down, chiacchiere. If you get any louder, we won’t need any reporters coming by.”

“Technically, that’s a good thing, right?” joked Daisy.

The rest of the evening passed with Gadd trying to figure out just how much the new couple – supposedly the parents of babies Mario and Luigi – knew and it was quite a lot; the three ended up discussing Dr. Reeka and some of the work that Elvin had done with the man. It seemed obvious that the older twins were keen on the conversation as well, more so than the professor had ever see the two pay any attention to what he was saying.

There was more going on here than he knew and it was clear that Luigi knew even less than he did, from the confused look that crossed his face when something new was mentioned.

Dinner ended way too late as far as Mario was concerned and he bid a quick goodnight to the princes as they headed off to bed; they would be taking their leave in the morning, already contacting their government personal quick messages of what had happened and where they were. He admitted he was a little put out when Peach had offered to escort Haru to his room, but the prince, most likely sensing that something was about to happen, wisely declined and said he would see her in the morning.

Citron may have also known something needed to be discussed because he quickly asked the twin babies if they wanted to play a game with him, causing them both to jump with excitement. Normally, dinner was the signal for little bambinos to head to bed, but their parents knew this conversation needed to be done without the two and were grateful for the assistance. Daisy, who delivered an affectionate kiss to her father’s cheek, joked that he just wanted to see what it may have been like if he had a boy before watching the three run off to another part of the castle.

Knowing the time was here, Peach suggested they all meet in the study, requesting that drinks were provided while there. Normally, the pink princess wasn’t a drinker by nature, but she thought the situation could use some levity with a rich port she had picked up, as well as a harder liquor called whiskey that Mario tended to prefer.

Amy and Martin had initially meant to explain their story to just their adult twins, but it was clear that even if they had, the two would most likely confide in their perspective girlfriends and it seemed wrong to not let Toadsworth become aware of something even he hadn’t known. The arrival of Professor Gadd had been a surprise, especially when it was clear that he didn’t recognize either of them.

“Will someone please tell me what’s going on?” Luigi asked, as soon as the adults had been seen to and were comfortably settled within the study area. The plumber in green had thought he’d be returning to a relieved group of people, but instead tensions seemed higher than ever before. He had tried to get Mario to tell him what was happening, but the only thing he got was a mumbled excuse that a lot of things had happened while he was gone.

Apparently so many, that he hadn’t even given his account of what he and the others had gone through, something he thought was and should be of particular interest to everyone involved.

He didn’t understand what his…the babies’ parents were doing there, especially when he couldn’t remember ever running into them, even at the kart races. It was strange that they would be here now, apparently set on telling them all some burning secret that he had been left out of.

“You didn’t show him?” Amy asked, looking at her eldest. She and her husband sat on a love seat across from a large sofa that held Mario, Luigi, and Daisy; Peach sat in an armchair placed at Mario’s right, while Toadsworth took a relaxed position on the nearby ottoman.

“You said you wanted to explain,” Mario huffed, crossing his arms against his chest. “So now’s the time to explain.”

It was on the tip of her tongue to chastise him for the attitude, but Amy knew he had a right to be upset, especially with how this whole thing had played out. Sighing, she whispered, “You’re right. Okay. I guess it would help to start at the beginning, so forgive me if it’s long, but…”

“At this point,” Martin interrupted. “You deserve the truth. Or as much as we know it now.”

Amy nodded. “It started back home, in Brooklyn. Your grandfather called me in to take a call to fix the Doyles’ toilet for the fifteenth time…”

 

 


	10. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mario and Luigi discover their true origins, while the group learns more about the children of the stars and their villains purpose. A shocking revelation leads to more trouble. Conclusion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here is your conclusion to the previous chapter. It picks up immediately after Amy and Martin tell their story; if you'd like to go in chronological order, read chapter 7 in between the last chapter and this one.

#  **Chapter VIX:**

 

 

Shock.

Is there another word for shock?

After everything he had been through in the last week, Luigi Andolesi could easily and understandably say that nothing had shocked him more than learning that his past was not the past he knew. His parents – and on some level, they _were_ his parents – had gone through their history together: how Amy had come to the Mushroom Kingdom – much in the same way he and Mario had gotten there – how she had helped save Peach’s father the king, how she and Martin had ultimately fallen in love, and how they had started a family there.

But instead of the happily ever after the couple had thought they would have, their lives were fraught with danger. The stories Yoshi had relayed had been true – as babies, they had been targeted several times, with a fourth event that neither twin remembered; that had been the last straw as far as their parents were concerned and if not for the time traveling antics of a few months ago, the little family would be safely in Brooklyn.

Toadsworth, ever the champion for the younger men, was equally hurt at not knowing any of this initially, especially when he had been under the impression that these two people were his friends. The Andolesis apologized, stating that he had been on a mission for King Phineas at the time, which Martin admitted made it easier to go through. Looking at Gadd, Amy stated that he and Dr. Reeka had presented them with a new invention – a memory erasing machine, something that would hopefully help in the ever escalating war that was happening between them and Darkland to the north.

Gadd remembered that machine, but that was the last memory he had. He thought he remembered showing it off to the king, but the memory was hazy, as though it was more of a dream than actual reality.

When it was all said and done, when everything had been laid out before them, the younger man and stood, walking a few steps to put him away from the people he _thought_ he knew. They told him about the portraits, something even his brother had failed to mention, and how this entire time, they had been related to two of the most successful and influential members of the King’s Guard since Sir Alastair of Bogen.

“Why?”

“Why what, Louie?” his father asked, his voice weary from relaying their entire history.

Turning to look at the two on the sofa, he asked, “Why would you keep this from us?”

Martin shook his head. “Obviously your parents…” he began, grimacing. “They… _we_ …probably felt we’d tell you when you were older, much older, so you’d understand the gravity of the situation.”

“You didn’t think you’d ever come back,” Daisy said, realization dawning on her face, as she looked at the couple.

Martin nodded. “Given our current predictament,” he continued. “I can only guess that your parents – the ones from _your_ timeline – probably did the same thing we’re going to do.”

“Which is?” asked Peach.

“Destroy every warp pipe connecting us to the Mushroom Kingdom,” Amy replied. “If a Goomba could wander his way, unknowingly, to Brooklyn, who knows who else could come through?”

“But that would mean…” Toadsworth said, his eyes big with hurt and knowledge now of the events in questions.

“We’d never be able to come back,” Martin finished, lowering his head.

Their decision hadn’t been an easy one, especially not when everything Martin knew was from his home in the Mushroom Kingdom; Amy would be back on home soil and it wouldn’t take long for the babies to acclimate, but for Martin, this wasn’t a simple move down the street or to a new kingdom. His entire world would change and while painful at leaving the two best friends he’d ever had behind, he would do what needed to be done to keep his family safe.

“Mrs. Rolinski.”

“What?” Amy asked, glancing at Luigi.

Mario cleared his throat; he hadn’t thought this would be so difficult to hear. “Mrs. Rolinski,” he said, understanding where his twin was taking this. “That’s how Luigi and I got here; we were doing a job for Mrs. Rolinski.”

“Gertrude Rolinski!?” Amy exclaimed. “How the…?” Suddenly, the woman’s eyes grew wide and she let out a breath. “The bathtub,” she said. “There’s a warp pipe in the bathtub.” Both twins nodded. “Oh my God,” Amy declared. “For years, we’ve been telling that woman to replace her tub, that it was a piece of crap and nothing good would come from her keeping it.”

“Great scott!” Gadd hissed, disrupting the current conversation.

“Professor?”

“That whiley old bastard used that infernal machine on me,” he continued, huffing as he did. When everyone looked at him in confusion. “He used the memory machine on _me_!”

“Well that explains why you don’t recognize us,” Martin concluded.

“And why you didn’t recognize me and Mario when we met,” added Luigi.

“I can’t believe you would do this,” Mario hissed. They _lied_ to them and not just them, it seemed, but _anyone_ that had been involved in this. And that only made his guilt at having yelled at both Toadsworth and Peach even worse; his anger had been misplaced, but now he had the right targets.

“You _lied_ to us! Everything we’ve known and done has been a lie and now, you’re about to do the same thing again! Those twins deserve to know the truth!”

“Oh right, sure,” Martin spat, sarcastically. “Let’s go ask the eighteen month year old toddlers what they would like to do. And once we’ve gotten past the requests for ice cream, cake, and cannoli, we can ask if they want to leave, which I’m sure they wouldn’t. Not when their older selves are here and there’s a _ton_ of bad guys to jump on.”

Mario stood from the couch. “Then that’s their decision,” he pressed, pointing a finger at his father. “How dare you take that decision from them? From _us_!?”

“How dare _we_?” Amy hissed, standing as well and standing in Mario’s line of sight. “Because we’re your _genitori cazzo_ , that’s why!”

“You are not…”

“I swear to god, if you finish that sentence, Mario Francesco Andolesi, I will smack you so hard, you end up in the past,” Amy growled. “And then I’ll smack you _there_ to complete the round trip, capische? Regardless of space, time, distance, alternate realities, parallel worlds, qualunque cosa sia, eh?

“I am still your mother. And it is _my duty_ to make sure no harm comes to you and Luigi and I don’t care if you hate me until the day I die, I will _never_ regret my decision to keep you and your brother safe. Tu sei il mio _figlio_.”

It was clear where Mario’s temper had come from and seeing two titans stand toe to toe was not only a bit disturbing, but fascinating; Luigi of course had seen his share of arguments between his brother and mother, though he figured he was the only one who noticed the color drain from Mario’s face when his mother stated he could hate her until she died.

“I think tempers have flared a bit,” Toadsworth said, standing quickly and heading for the drink cart. “It may be better if we all settle down and have a nice drink, yes?”

Martin nodded. “You’re right, Toadsworth,” he said, looking up at his wife and son. “We just need to calm down.” Pulling on his wife’s hand, he whispered, “Amy. Tesero, sit down.” Amy did as told, taking the offered water cup from Toadsworth and drinking quickly. Martin could feel the tension, the trembling in his wife’s body, knowing that it was anger and hurt all mixing together.

“Mariano,” he said, catching the younger man's eye before gesturing that he sit as well. Unknown to his younger son, Martin _had_ seen the way Mario’s face had gone white from his mother’s words, a sign that it was more than just the stunned shock of having this smaller woman confront him. That was significant and the former knight wasn’t sure if he wanted to know the reasoning behind it.

The elder twin also sat back down, though he waved off his offered drink, still unnerved by what just happened.

“Louie,” Martin called, waving his younger son back towards them. “Come sit down.”

Luigi also followed instructions, though he opted to sit on the arm of the couch were he had been before. “We never did this to hurt you,” Martin whispered. “Then or now. We’re doing this to protect you; maybe when you’re parents, you’ll understand that.”

The group was silent for a few moments, letting the tension seep out of the room. Something about the couple’s story had peaked a thought for the young princess, though she was a bit hesitant to bring it up, knowing that it could cause problems again.

“I think I may have solved a piece of your puzzle,” Peach replied, looking at the couple. “You said that, in all the times Mario and Luigi were attacked, there was some koopa wizard that was behind it?”

Amy nodded. “Yes,” she said. “We’ve only gotten a glimpse of him, but one of those events – the one where you had been kidnapped as well – some of the guards’ descriptions matched with what we had seen.”

Turning to look at Mario, she said, “I bet anything the person they saw was Kamek.”

“I’m sure you’re right,” the elder twin mumbled, throwing a glance her way. “But if that’s true, how did he manage to go back in time?”

“I think I may have the answer to that,” Luigi said, looking at them all. “And it actually means that these two things are intertwined and not separate as we thought.”

Here, Luigi finally was able to tell his tale, starting from his visit with Princess Éclair and how he and Moshi had been captured by their villain, Mordrios. Now they had a name to go with the faceless creature and as the plumber in green began to explain, they also had a reason behind the kidnappings. Luigi told them of Bowser’s tale – how Kamek had learned of the star children legend and then used a time portal to send himself and Bowser back into time to try and capture the infants.

The group was equally surprised at learning that the Darkland king himself was a star child, though they were more surprised at _Wario_ being one, and that Bowser himself didn’t even know about Yoshi and Donkey Kong being star children. However, what should have been the happy part – that Mordrios only knew of five star children – it was actually bleaker than they thought.

“He doesn’t know about you and Peach,” he explained, looking at his brother. “Though how he managed to round up two of Peach’s pen pals and _not_ realize she was a star child is beyond me, but it saves us a little time.”

“So what do you ‘star kids’ have that he wants?” asked Daisy.

Again looking at his brother, Luigi said, “He’s trying to raise the Dark Star.”

“That’s impossible,” Mario scoffed.

“What’s the Dark Star?” Amy asked.

“Long ago,” Peach explained. “There was a malevolent star that slept deep below the kingdom, the Dark Star. It was said that if someone evil ever found it, the world would be plunged into darkness and that the Dark Star would then rule the world. The Star Sprites, fearing something like that could potentially occur, sealed the Dark Star deep under Toad Town.”

“But we destroyed it,” Mario added, sending his brother a look.

“Did we?” Luigi countered. “Because Mordrios seems to think that we didn’t and that by gathering us all together, he’ll be able to raise it again.”

“But he can’t, right?” Daisy asked. “I mean, if you two destroyed it, how would he be able to get to it? More importantly, is he evil enough to make it come out and play?”

“I may be able to shed some light on that,” Gadd piped up, finally coming back to the conversation around him. “I looked a little deeper into this whole ‘star children’ thing and it seems our mysterious villain is assured of what he speaks.”

“Go on, Elvin,” Toadsworth encouraged.

“Mordrios is correct,” the professor began. “Star children each possess extraordinary amounts of power. It seems they were sent down by the Star Sprites, I’m assuming probably around the same time they were worried about your Dark Star problem. And together, they are powerful enough to take over the universe.”

“Oh my!” Toadsworth exclaimed.

“He’s going to use us to get the Dark Star,” Peach murmured. “And then use both powers to take over the universe and everything in it.”

“Not if we stop him first,” Mario growled.

“How?” countered his brother. “You get the seven of us together, that’s going to spell doom to everyone involved. Besides…if he manages to get us together, we _can’t_ stop him.”

Standing in frustration and anger, Mario sneered, “Grow a backbone, Luigi.”

“Grow a _brain_ , Mario,” the younger twin retorted, throwing his brother an angry glare. “We can’t fight against him, not as long as that…Illumani Star is with him.”

“And what the hell is that?”

“I can’t be sure,” the plumber sighed. “I didn’t have time to sit through all of the records he had on his ship, but from what I could gather, it was like a…like a bridge between us and the Dark Star; the problem however is that fact that, that _star_ is what gives him control over _us_. I don’t know where he got it from, but reports state that it disappeared and suddenly it shows up in the hands of a guy who needs to use it.”

“You could have mentioned that first,” Mario grumbled.

“Well, you could’ve mentioned all of this, but…”

“Alright, lads, enough,” Gadd stressed, giving them both a stern look. “No one wants to listen to the two of you bicker all night. More important things here.” Waving the 3DS he had brought with him, he said, “I looked up that Illumani Star and Luigi is correct – it once resided in another universe, though it doesn’t say which universe, but it did disappear decades ago. Perhaps this isn’t just a spur of the moment adventure for our new friend.

“We might be able to buy some time thought,” Gadd continued, looking down at the screen. “In order to keep this star stable, he needs to construct a conduit for it, but it looks like the pieces have been scattered throughout.”

“Like a star chard?” Daisy asked, looking at the professor.

“Exactly,” he said, turning the device so the princess could see.

“I have a star chard,” the princess replied, looking at everyone. “The babies found it in the throne room.”

“Merda.”

“Luigi!” Martin chastised. “Language!”

Unlike Mario, Luigi had the grace to blush, stuttering out a “Sorry, Pop” as he did so. “I _had_ a star chard,” he confessed. “Moshi and I found one when we were at Éclair’s’.”

“What do you mean, you _had_ one?” Mario asked.

“It’s gone,” the plumber said, sadly. “When I came to, I didn’t have anything on me – power ups, the chard…”

“How many does he need to construct this…whatever?” Amy asked.

“Five,” Gadd said.

“Well,” Martin said, thoughtfully. “We have one and Luigi found one, that might mean he doesn’t have all the chards he needs.”

“Meaning we’re a step ahead,” Luigi concluded, causing his father to nod.

“There’s only one problem with that,” Mario huffed. “We don’t know how many he has already. We have one, yeah, but what if he has the other four?”

“Well maybe not,” Peach replied. “Your father’s right; if they took the chard that Luigi found, that means they’re still looking for them. Even if they have four, they still need the fifth and we have it.”

They discussed their options for a little while longer, before Amy and Martin realized the time and hurried off to scoop up their younger twins, waving off Peach’s offer to show them around. “I think we remember where everything is,” Martin joked, sending her a smile and a nod to the older boys. There was still some lingering disappointment and anger under the surface and while he knew they would never regret the decision, he was disheartened by the reaction they had gotten.

Once Martin and Amy decided to head out, Gadd also decided to continue investigating on their behalf, looking to discover if there were any means to stopping this latest threat. Toadsworth complained of the excitement of the day, though his eyes held the heaviness of learning the story the way he had; he understood the predicament the Andolesis found themselves in, wanting to protect their growing family from the constant and rising danger of the kingdom.

He understood that, he did.

But he would be lying if he still wasn’t hurt by the knowledge that they hadn’t told him of their plans, plus his added belief that the current twins were well aware of their situation.

“I think…I think I’ll take some air,” Luigi whispered, standing and placing his hands in his pockets. He wasn’t sure how he should deal with all of this and he just needed to be alone with his thoughts.

“Want some company?”

He almost said no, almost; yes, he needed time to think, but overall what he needed was to discuss what he had heard and he knew Mario wasn’t in the right frame of mind to look at things objectively. Hell, Luigi wasn’t certain _he_ was looking at things objectively. Nodding, he made his way towards the doorway, hearing Daisy follow him before heading out into the corridor.

From the corridor, he immediately headed towards the doorway that lead to the gardens, hoping its beauty – even in the dark – would calm the whirlwind that was happening in his mind. He had just stepped off the last step, when he was startled by Daisy putting her arm through his; he had actually forgotten she had followed him out. Thankfully she wasn’t insulted by the reaction, instead giving his arm a squeeze as they began to wander around the hedges and flower patches.

They didn’t speak for a time, seemingly looking like a typical couple on a nightly stroll; actually, if not for the previous conversation, the desert princess would have thought this quite romantic and something she could see Luigi doing for one of their dinner dates. She didn’t rush him, letting him figure out his thoughts first. Though he was the more emotional of the two, the younger twin could sometimes keep his feelings to himself.

“You know,” she began. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone call you ‘Louie’ before.”

Luigi couldn’t help but smile, though it was more bittersweet and sad. “Pop’s the only one who’s ever called me that,” he whispered. “Did I ever tell you how I got the nickname ‘Weegie’?”

Daisy shook her head. “I always figured it was something you got as a kid,” she admitted. “Like someone couldn’t pronounce your name and began calling you ‘Weegie’.”

The plumber chuckled. “Actually, that’s pretty close,” he said. “When we were babies and learning how to talk, I was trying to teach Mario how to say my name, which of course was hard enough for me to say. I could only say ‘Me Gee’, as a way to try and introduce myself. Of course, Mario heard it wrong and started calling me ‘Weegie’ and…it caught on from there.”

“I take it your parents wanted to help the both of you learn and stuck with it,” she concluded.

Luigi nodded.

Daisy pulled them to a stop before turning to look at him. “Hey,” she whispered, stroking his cheek in comfort. “I’m going to stupidly ask if you’re okay. Are you?”

Taking a moment to answer, he murmured, “I don’t know. I mean, I’m not sure how I should feel about things.” Shaking his head, he looked at her for a moment. “Is it weird that I’m more upset about what my parents told me than the fact that we’re the tools for destruction? Is that weird?”

“No,” Daisy said, wrapping her arms around him. “I don’t think it’s weird, especially considering what’s going on now.” Giving him a look, she asked, “It’s not your past you’re actually concerned about it, is it?”

Luigi shook his head. “I know that’s what Mario is worried about,” he whispered. “That…that we’ve changed things for us or the babies at least. I just…” Shaking his head again before lowering it, he continued with, “They don’t know. They don’t know that…that they’re gone…for us. I don’t know, I think it’s kinda sad. They’ll never see either of us get married or get to know our children…”

Giving the back of his neck a squeeze, she said, “It might not be that way for the babies. I mean, let’s say that we _have_ created a parallel universe; that means the babies might not go through what you and Mario did. And that doesn’t mean that your parents won’t change their minds or will do something different.”

“But doesn’t this change everything?” he asked, worriedly.

“How?” she asked. “You and Mario are still our favorite heros.”

“Yeah,” Luigi admitted. “But…our pasts and future are…”

“Still yours to make and change,” Daisy interrupted. “Yes, your past is different from what you remember, but how does growing up in Brooklyn differ from growing up here? Sure, you would’ve been childhood friends with Peach, but…what’s to say if that happened, you wouldn’t have fallen in love with _her_ instead?”

That caused him to smirk.

“I know it’s probably nothing you want to hear,” she continued. “But…from everything you’ve told me about growing up in Brooklyn, it sounds like you had a happy and uneventful childhood.”

Mario may have sputtered at that, agreeing that they could have had both, along with knowledge of the Mushroom Kingdom. Luigi, on the other hand, understood what his girl was trying to tell him – yes, it hurt that their parents had hidden this from them, but ultimately, their decision didn’t change how the twins’ childhood went; they had been surrounded by family and friends, got into the typical trouble associated with boys.

Luigi nodded, receiving a lingering kiss for his understanding. “What’re we gonna do about this Mordred guy?” asked Daisy.

“Mordrios,” he corrected. “And I don’t know. We’ve been in tight spots before, but nothing like this.”

“We’ll figure it out,” she said, confidently. “Like we always do. Now, come on. Don’t think I’ve forgotten about that exam I owe you.”

Smiling, Luigi turned them both towards the entrance back into the castle. “Oh, that’s right,” he said. “I did promise you that I would return to you, completely scratch free.”

“And bruise free.”

The plumber nodded. “I believe you also promised me the same,” he replied. “So I think it’s only fair that I make sure you’re…completely healthy.”

Daisy smirked. “Oh I agree,” she chuckled. “We’re partners, after all.”

 

* * *

 

While Luigi was trying to gather his thoughts, his twin brother was doing much of the same upstairs in his bedroom. That is to say, his original bedroom. Mario’s bedroom had been placed next door to Peach’s, an actual random occurrence by him taking the first available room when offered one night. When he and Luigi had first arrived in the Mushroom Kingdom, they had been able to take a few rooms on the second floor of the castle before obtaining their home nearby.

In the cases where battling Browser took longer than normal or when he was so tired to make it to his own home, he always took the room he had picked one night, though he had been quite surprised to learn that he managed to take the room right next door to Peach’s. As the months and years started to go by, it made sense for him to keep a small set of items there; certainly there was nothing wrong with that.

When he and Peach began to grow closer, Mario stopped using the room next door.

At least until tonight.

It was the first place he had headed to after the discussion in the study, thoughts jumbled with everything he had learned. It seemed almost ironic that the answers he had been seeking for nearly a week would suddenly come together, both in discussion and in eerie connection – he was a ‘star child’, one of seven, and their mysterious stranger was after him so he could raise a malevolent dark entity they thought destroyed.

Funnily enough, by him and two of these star children.

There was a lot he could take, especially in a world where the easiest way to defeat a villain was to jump on their heads and one need only touch a flower to gain the ability to shoot fire from their hands. Maybe in another world, another time, and in another place, this would be funny; it would be funny and would actually make sense.

Mario Andolesi was a star child. He became a star child because he was originally born in the Mushroom Kingdom, along with his twin brother. As a baby, he had been kidnapped on more than one occasion and by some strange coincidence – probably because he had ultimate power coursing through his veins – he was able to fight his way back to his parents.

And now, due to a time traveling adventure, his parents – or rather, his parents of the past – were on the verge of setting in motion events that created the memories he knew and prided himself on.

The older twin didn’t even want to try to figure in the fact that his arrival in this new kingdom paralleled his own mother’s arrival, right down to the fact that they had found warp pipes within the bathrooms of one of their clients, being swept down through the drain before ending up in the green fields and hills of the Mushroom Kingdom.

Like his brother, Mario’s focus wasn’t on the fact that a villain was trying to raise the dark star or even the fact that the dark star was even able to be raised in the first place.

While Luigi was concerned on their future – one where their children wouldn’t have the same connection with their grandparents the way they did – Mario was pinpointed on their _past_. He couldn’t help it – had the arrival of the babies changed his past? He certainly couldn’t remember any event in which his older self had been around, but then again, his parents did have his memory erased.

What if these events had happened before?

He and Luigi had watched a lot of TV as children and Mario knew there were plenty of episodes of the Twilight Zone, Outer Limits, Star Trek, and others that went into weird paradoxes, where the hero turns out to be the very stranger that saved himself from an accident as a child. Was this what was happening? Were they stuck in some sort of weird loop where Mario and Luigi saved their baby selves, only to go back to their own time, grow up, and then return to – once again – save their baby selves, repeating the whole sequence again?

The whole concept gave him a headache and he pinched the bridge of his nose to try to stem it.

The problem he faced now…well, there were actually _many_ problems he faced now. As much as he would’ve liked to sort out these issues with his past and future, there was a much bigger issue at hand. This Mordrios character knew about them, knew about the star children legend and at this point, knew of at least five of them; only he and Peach seemed safe.

For the moment.

They may have gotten all the kidnapping victims returned to their own homes, Mario knew they couldn’t rest easy. This was most definitely not a Bowser scheme, even if he knew his old enemy would be back to his usual tricks after this mess was solved, if ever; no, this was something bigger, something that had snuck up on them and blindsided them.

Rising the dark star was ridiculous; they destroyed it, working their way through three versions of its form. Mordrios was wrong. There was no way he would be able to bring about the dark star and he mostly certainly wouldn’t do it with his, or the others’, cooperation.

But if what his brother said was true, they wouldn’t actually have a choice.

Shaking his head, Mario went about changing into his sleep clothes, all the while trying to work through his thoughts and feelings. He needed to discuss this, everything, but it seemed that the normal people he would turn to weren’t around. Well…

Normally, he would have sought out his brother, but he could see Luigi wasn’t having the same type of thoughts or emotions that he was. Oh, he knew this whole thing disturbed his brother as much as it did him, but discussing it with each other would only make them more confused or more upset. He certainly couldn’t discuss this with his parents – he’d heard enough from them for the time being – so that only left one person.

There were few times in which Peach had been angry with him, meaning he had usually opened that big mouth of his and put both feet in it. Usually, he would immediately apologize and beg for forgiveness; rarely, if ever, had he said the things he had the night before. He had told her he hated her, had assumed she was a part of some weird conspiracy that hid the fact that his parents’ portraits were hidden in the very castle he had hoped to live in one day.

What was he thinking? Well, that answer was easily answered.

He wasn’t.

He had really put his foot in it this time, something that was all the more apparent with the way Peach seemed to turn her interests towards Prince Haru once again. Mario was of course aware of who Haru was, though he had never met the prince, and he was obviously aware that the two had been engaged through an arranged marriage, though it had been called off, he thought, because of the constant kidnapping attempts.

His thoughts were starting to run away with him and before he could even begin to try process his emotions, Mario found himself standing out in the hall, right in front of Peach’s own bedroom door. Well, now that he was there, it was a simple matter of just knocking on her door and apologizing. Because that would certainly be easy.

 _“Hey Peach, I’m sorry I said I hated you and thought were involved in some sort of conspiracy involving my birth and my parents.”_ Or _“Peachy, darling, I was emotional. You know I didn’t mention to insinuate that you’re a part of a cover up with my parents. Joking! You should have seen your face…”_

Running a hand over his face, Mario groaned and proceeded to pace back and forth in the corridor, vainly trying to figure out how he was going to apologize for his behavior. What exactly would he say? How does one apologizing for even considering what he had considered? If she didn’t hate him already, she was certainly annoyed, probably frustrated with him and his attitude.

Maybe he should’ve stayed in the castle last night, forgoing any adventures in the rain and running to his parents…past parents…what the hell did he _call_ them? His pacing abruptly stopped when he heard the door open and was met with the relaxed face of Peach staring at him from the doorway. “Mario?” she asked, wondering what the plumber was doing out in the hall in his pajamas.

“Um…” he stumbled, surprised at her sudden arrival and still trying to figure out what he wanted to say. “I…I was…uh…”

A smile slowly graced her face. She couldn’t remember the last time she had seen Mario so nervous and speechless, especially when standing outside of her bed chambers. It was clear that he had planned to speak with her, but her sudden appearance had thrown him for an adorable loop. “I was about to have some tea,” she began. “Would you like to join me?”

Again, Mario seemed unable to answer her simple question, stumbling over what an appropriate answer should be. Thankfully, Peach let him off the hook by extending her towards him. “Mario.”

The plumber glanced at the hand before moving his eyes back to her face. She didn’t seem to be angry, though Peach wasn’t the type of person who rose to anger quickly, not like him anyway. Nodding slowly, Mario tentatively reached for her hand, afraid that at the last moment, she might pull it away, but she didn’t. Instead, she gave his hand a squeeze, pulling him slightly towards her and then into the room.

Peach’s bed chambers were slightly larger than the rest of the bedrooms, though not by much. There was a desk attached to a bookcase to the right, alongside the wall, with a comfortable chair pushed underneath. To the opposite side was a queen size bed that was raised off the floor, a cherry blossom pink colored comforter resting on top, covering the cream sheets that lay underneath. To the left sat the bathroom, where a double vanity sat against the wall and overlooked the large tub.

Across from there was the entrance to the balcony, where a small table sat with two chairs; a perfect setting for overlooking a part of the waters that were part of Toad Harbor.

As soon as he was within the room, Mario waited until the door had closed before he spun around to face his host. “I’m sorry!” he exclaimed. “Peachy, I’m sorry. I don’t know what I was thinking, I wasn’t thinking! I don’t hate you, I could never hate you, no matter what you do. I love you. Peach…amato, Ti amo tanto. Tu sei l’unica donna che abbia mai amato.”

Well. He’d done it. He apologized and waited, hanging his head when he hadn’t heard anything from him for nearly a minute. He obviously waited too long to beg her forgiveness, he should’ve done when he returned. It wouldn’t change anything – he would still protect her and the kingdom with his life, even if he had to extend that protection to…someone besides her.

Mamma mia, he was an idiot.

So involved with his feelings, the plumber didn’t realize he was being pulled into an embrace until he felt the princess rub her cheek against the top of his head. “I forgave you when you didn’t return to the castle after an hour,” she whispered. “Which reminds me – you are to never do that again without letting me know you’re okay.”

Wrapping his arms around her, he delivered a kiss to the exposed portion of her neck. “Deal,” he sighed, holding her close. He hadn’t thought to send a message back the night before, hadn’t even thought she’d be worried when it was clear he wasn’t returning. It was bad enough he put her through the hell of knowing he was in constant danger when she was kidnapped, he didn’t need to make it worse when it came to ordinary matters.

“Mia mi ancora?” he asked.

Pulling back to look at him in horror, she questioned, “How can you ask me that?”

Mario kinda just shrugged, but he didn’t look at her. Raising an eyebrow, Peach delivered a kiss to his forehead, before pulling on his hand again. “Come on,” she said, pulling him towards the bed and pushing him to sit upon it. “I promised you tea.”

The tea cart sat next to the bed, delivered a few moments before Mario had come to her door, was still warm and complete with two cups, as though Peach knew the plumber would come by eventually. The princess poured tea into both cups, putting a sugar cube into one and tea into the other, before handing the cup with sugar over to Mario.

Taking her own cup, Peach took a seat next to Mario, sending him an encouraging look. Like his younger twin, the elder took the time to actually sort through his thoughts. “Ciò che mi accingo a fare?”

“Well, that all depends,” she whispered, causing him to look at her. “Are you talking about our star child villain? Or about what your parents told us?”

“Yes,” he chuckled, bitterly. “Is it wrong that I’m more upset about my own childhood and past than I am about a new villain in the Mushroom Kingdom?”

“No,” Peach said, running her fingers through his hair. “Especially something like this. Do you want to talk about it?”

“Where do I even start?” he grumbled. “What if you’re right? What if we _have_ done something that’s changed everything? What if…?”

“What?”

“What if we’ve done this before?” he questioned, quietly. “What if we’ve been here before, done everything before, and we’re right back to where we were before?”

Peach looked at him in confusion. “What do you mean?”

Placing his cup back on the cart, he turned to look at her. “My parents erased our memories,” he said. “My parents are planning to do the same thing again. What if we’ve been here before? What if we’ve done this all before, where the babies are here and we’re here? _We_ wouldn’t remember if there were adult versions of ourselves, would we?”

Blue eyes widening in a shock. “Do you think that’s true?” she asked.

“I don’t know,” he said, shaking his head. “I’m obviously pulling strings here, but I just…” He ran a hand over his face. “This changes everything.”

“Does it?”

“Doesn’t it?” he questioned.

“Not really,” she said. “Does this change how you feel about Brooklyn? All the good times you’ve told me about? Does this change how you feel about me?”

“ _Nothing_ could ever change the way I feel about you,” he said, fiercely. “But if we had stayed, I would’ve known you much earlier.”

“True,” she said, smiling. “But what’s to say that our childhood friendship would’ve lead us to here?”

“You saying we wouldn’t have fallen in love?” Mario asked, raising an eyebrow. “Cause I think it’s pretty obvious that Baby Mario has a crush on you.”

“You heard your mother,” she giggled. “She had a childhood friend that everyone assumed she would marry, but she didn’t.”

“I’m glad she didn’t,” the plumber huffed. “I _know_ the O’Reillys and if you think I have a bit of a temper _now_ , add Irish to that.”

“I’d still love you,” she said, delivering a kiss to his cheek.

“Even if you could’ve had a prince?”

“Oh,” she said, sending him a small smile. “I hadn’t been sure if you noticed.”

“That your old fiancée is trying to discover if it’s over between us?” he asked, smirking.

“I’m sure that’s not true,” she replied. “Especially when I was very clear that this was a disagreement, perhaps our very first if I remember correctly.”

“You told him that?”

“Yes.”

Peach didn’t miss the blush that rose on Mario’s cheeks. “You didn’t answer my question,” he mumbled.

“Haru and I had an arranged engagement,” Peach stressed, leaning against him. “One that was set up when we were still children and one that we ended up breaking due to a certain kidnapping event.”

“Oh?”

Peach hummed in agreement. “I was rescued by this handsome stranger who had come from another world, if you can believe it,” she said. “He was a plumber.”

Smirking, Mario asked, “You’d take a plumber over a prince?”

“I happen to find plumbers extremely attractive,” she whispered, leaning closer.

“It’s the moustache,” he replied, cheekily. “Ladies love the ‘stache.”

“Just how many ladies are we talking about here?”

“Only beautiful blondes, with gorgeous blue eyes, and forgiving hearts.”

“Flatterer,” she laughed, kissing him quickly. Resting her forehead against his, she asked, “Are you alright?”

Sighing again, Mario whispered, “Did I ever tell you what happened the day my parents died?” Peach shook her head. “I told my mother I hated her. It was the ending to an argument I don’t even remember anymore, but I remember stating that I hated her and her shouting back that I could hate her as I long as I lived but it wouldn’t change anything.

“Three hours later, Luigi called to tell me there was an accident. By the time I got there, it was too late and…and their bodies had already been found.”

“What happened?”

“Gas explosion,” he said. “Luigi said they had gone to take care of a pipe issue, when Ma noticed something wasn’t right. She told my brother to get as many people of their homes as soon as possible, while she and Pop went to see if they could stop the leak. She was right, of course; Weegie was able to save nearly thirty people, including ten kids. But there were five deaths in that explosion, my parents included.”

“Oh Mario.”

Peach certainly knew what it was like to say something and immediately regret it – once, when she had been a small girl, she had told Toadsworth she wanted him to go away forever. Soon afterwards, the middle aged Toad had gotten very sick and though he made a full recovery, the terror she had felt at thinking that he would indeed heed her words and never came back never truly left her.

Mario hadn’t told anyone that, even when first telling Peach that his parents were no longer alive, he hadn’t gone any further than they were involved in an accident. He knew she wouldn’t ask any questions, knowing what it was like to speak about a parent who was no longer around and would never return. But he hadn’t told her _this_.

“You do know,” she began. “That regardless of the world or universe you're in, that your mother loves you, no matter what. The Amy Andolesi who is here, now, may be the woman from your past, but she’s still your mother, just like Baby Mario is still you.”

“But what if…?”

“Hey,” she said, turning him to look at her. “The future is always changing. Maybe you’re right – maybe we have started some sort of odd loop where as soon as your parents leave with the babies, it starts up all over again. But…what if, after seeing what their actions have done, they change their minds?

“This is going to sound horrible and I’m sure it doesn’t help the situation, but everything is going to alright. As daunting as it seems, we’ve always been able to defeat our foes before.”

Pulling her close, Mario kissed her for the optimistic view she always seemed to have, even in the worst of circumstances. “Tu sei la luce nel tunnel più buio,” he whispered.

Peach knew enough Italian to have a decent conversation, but she didn’t know that phrase. “What does that mean?”

“In essence, you’re the light in a very dark tunnel,” he said, smiling at her. “And everything I need right now.”

“Always.”

Their tea had gone cold, but instead of maybe ringing one of the servants to remove the cart, Peach moved it against the wall, making sure it would be out of the way. Mario had already made his way to the bathroom, standing in front of one half of the double vanity – his half – and began to get ready for bed, brushing his teeth, and making use of the toilet before crawling into the bed.

Closing his eyes for a moment, he sighed and opened them again, noticing that the lights had been turned off and an arm snaked its way across his chest. Turning his head, he gave Peach a kiss on the forehead, snuggling closer. Maybe she was right; he was overthinking things and in many cases, they always turned out okay.

Usually.

 

* * *

 

Light streaming into the room once again roused Mario from his sleep. Unlike two nights previously, he knew where he was this time, seeing the familiar ceiling of the princess’ bedchamber, the tea cart they had been using the night before, and the door to the bathroom.

He was alone in bed, not an uncommon event as Peach was an early riser, but he didn’t see her on the balcony either meaning that she was probably downstairs having breakfast with the others. Thinking of breakfast made his stomach rumble and it took that as a sign to get up for the day. Though he still had worries about his past and certainly his future, his mind wasn’t a mix of thoughts that it had been earlier in this adventure. His questions about the babies had been answered, for the most part, and he knew now what really happened in his past.

He still felt irritated at the knowledge, but he could at least understand where his parents were coming from – no parent wants their child to be hurt and his parents did – or were going to do again – what they thought would protect him and Luigi. And in the end, could he really take away all the fun times their family had in Brooklyn from the babies? Dinners at his grandparents, playing with their cousins, trips to Coney Island, even their trip to Italy one year.

Showered and feeling as though he could tackle their current problem of a crazed villain trying to catch them all, Mario headed downstairs and towards the grand ballroom where Peach would usually hold breakfast when she had a large group of people around. As he figured, Luigi, Daisy, King Citron, and Toadsworth were all sitting around, enjoying breakfast and the company of others.

Peach sat at the head of the table, the seat to her right empty and waiting for him to join them. Dropping a kiss on her head, he whispered, “Missed you this morning.” He sat in the vacant chair next to her, sharing a smile with her as he did.

“Get up earlier,” she quipped, pushing a plate towards him that was filled with eggs, sausage, and toast. Stabbing his fork into a sausage, Mario took a bite before tuning into the conversation around him – Toadsworth and Peach were obviously discussing business, while Luigi was discussing what sounded like sports with Citron and Daisy. Catching the other princess’ eye, the plumber gave her a nod, causing her to smile in acknowledgement.

At some point, their conversation turned to Mordrios and what his plans were. “I must say,” Toadsworth replied. “This is very distressing. Master Luigi, are you absolutely sure that this villain doesn’t know about the princess and your brother?”

“I’m sure,” Luigi insisted. “Though am I sure that he won’t figure it out? No, I’m not. Nor do I think he’s finished looking for the last two star children.”

“You know,” Daisy began, chewing thoughtfully. “There’s something about this that has been bothering me all night.”

“What’s that, Daisy?” asked Peach.

“These star children,” the desert princess continued. “So…you guys became star children when you were babies, right?”

“Yeah,” Mario said.

“And there are _seven_ of you?”

“Yeah,” Luigi replied. “The three of us, Donkey Kong, Yoshi, Wario, and Bowser.”

Daisy huffed in annoyance. “The Star Sprites sent out _seven_ stars to seven children, as _babies_ ,” she stressed. “And you’re sure there’s only _seven_ star children?”

Everyone at the table was confused, except for Mario, who was getting annoyed at this point. “If you have a point to make, Daisy,” he said, sarcastically. “Please make it.”

The desert princess rolled her eyes, before looking at the elder plumber. “You and Luigi were star children when you were _babies_ ,” she insisted. “You guys, you don’t have seven star children; you have _nine_.”

It still took another second before realization showed in the blue eyes of the older Andolesi twins. Looking at each other, the full impact of what Daisy had said clearly showed on their faces; no one had even thought about their current situation, no one but the flower princess.

“The babies,” Luigi whispered, eyes widening in horror.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations -
> 
> genitori cazzo: fucking parents  
> qualunque cosa sia: whatever  
> Tu sei il mio figlio: you are my son  
> Tesero: darling  
> Merda: shit  
> amato, Ti amo tanto. Tu sei l’unica donna che abbia mai amato: beloved, I love you. You're the only woman I have ever loved  
> Mia mi ancora?: Do you still love me?  
> Ciò che mi accingo a fare?: What am I going to do?


	11. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Martin relives his adventure days when he accompanies the older boys to Star Hill and Princess Peach receives an unexpected visitor and an ultimatum.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the lateness in updates. This chapter is a marathon, but unfortunately I didn't think it was a good idea to split up chapters. For the presentation of Star Hill, those of you that have played both Paper Mario and Partners in Time will noticed I combined their locations, as they are presented differently in both games.
> 
> Also, for whatever strange reason, Mario Kart Double Dash was actually released BEFORE Partners in Time, but as I've already kinda established, we're gonna pretend that's the reverse - Mario and Luigi teaming up with their baby selves happens before the babies are invited back for kart racing.
> 
> Again, thanks to those who have left kudos, bookmarks, and are generally reading. Hope you're enjoying it!

# Chapter X

 

 

 

The small fleet of airships hovered in the sky, hidden above the clouds over the last realm they had been in. After their leader had escaped from his own ship and the loss of that ship, the dark being known as Mordrios had taken shelter in the lower deck quarters. Only his lieutenant Mathias was allowed to speak to him, but it was clear that their leader was not happy about the latest turn of events.

The loss of his ship did sting, however it was the knowledge that the five star children he had captured were now gone. It had taken months to locate them here in this universe and weeks before he was able to get the five in the first place; he was certain they knew of the last two, they just didn’t want to reveal their hands. Worse was the news that his underlings had also lost one of the star chards that would combine into the vessel the Illumani Star needed to ensure complete control over the dark star.

He was so close! For years he had been gleaming through the histories and legends of the universes, discovering more about the worlds around him. The dark star had been a legend in other universes, but the pinpoint was here in this Mushroom Kingdom, where the legend began and apparently, where it also ended. But there was so much more than just the finding and capture of the dark star.

Mordrios had scoured all books and documents that would shed more light on this being. The dark star had lain dormant under the Mushroom Kingdom for centuries, until he was accidently dug up during an archeological dig, part of the construction of what would eventually become Toad Town. The kingdom’s star sprites detected the malice and evil intent of the star and subsequently banished it once again under the Earth.

But what the official history books didn’t mention was the fact that the star sprites had only been able to defeat the dark star by stripping away some of its powers, putting them into seven separate stars. Once the being had been destroyed, these stars sat within a special container, so that the star sprites could keep watch over them. Strangely, when these seven stars were together, they emitted such overwhelming power, it threatened to not only destroy their container, but Star Hill as a whole. It was then the star sprites knew they couldn’t keep these stars together, so they sent them out into the world at large, knowing that they would infuse with the first beings they encountered.

The star sprites weren’t stupid, however – they knew the risks of just allowing the stars to seek out individuals, so they directed the stars to only infuse with the most innocent of creatures.

Babies.

Seven babies were touched by these seven stars, absorbing the evil malcontent of the dark star; it was the hope the innocence of a babe would change or even destroy the evil that inhabited the stars. Once the stars had found seven babies, the star sprites went about their normal lives, happy in the fact that the dark star would never rise again and certainly, the seven stars they had taken from it would never come together.

What the star sprites _didn’t_ know was the close proximity of those seven star children. They did not foresee that two of those stars would reside in twin brothers, nor would they know that the third would eventually become the future wife of one of those boys. They certainly didn’t know that the last star child would become friends with the former three and that all seven would get together for yearly kart races.

The star sprites would also not know that the dark star would indeed rise again, thanks to a villain named Fawful, and that its power would not only corrupt him, but one of the star children. And they could not foresee that this star child and those twin star children would team up to defeat it again.

Mordrios knew of the attempt to raise the dark star and its destruction, but he knew only the physical form of the dark star was eliminated. It took years before he was finally able to discover where the form may have gone, surprised that it had just slithered back to its original origins. But because it was in such a vulnerable state, Mordrios would need something to contain it.

The star sprites didn’t bother to check to see what happened to the seven stars and they certainly didn’t consider that anyone would look further into the origins of the dark star. Nor did they ever consider looking deeper into the power that would bring the dark star back. Those years of investigation had brought Mordrios knowledge, deeper than he could ever expect.

The Illumani Star, for instance, was an ancient power that could bridge two complementing powers together. The stronger the power, the tighter the connection; and the star happened to work best when used with other stars. That had led him to the star children legend and while it didn’t list who the star children _were_ , the Illumani Star had another special power – it could detect the powerful energy that came from another star, even if that star was embedded in something or some _one_.

It wasn’t specific unfortunately, especially when so far away from the actual target. That was the reason he had taken the others – at first he thought they had been the star children, but realized that they had only been in _contact_ with one or more of the star children. Sadly, none of them knew who the star children were.

Even the other star children were unaware of their existence until they had been face to face.

It felt as though all of his hard work had been wasted. His lead ship stolen, his five star children gone in the kingdom below, and worse, he now only had two of the star chards that would make the Reliquiarium, the component he needed to contain the power of the dark star. He could of course take on the power himself, but too much of it could destroy him and would let the unstable entity loose on the universe. That was something he didn’t want, not if he couldn’t control where the destruction would happen.

“My lord,” Mathias replied, coming through the door without the command to enter. At any other time, Mordrios would have waved it off, but he was so annoyed at their progress, he immediately lashed out, throwing out a shadowy arm that instantly wrapped itself around the minion’s neck.

“I hope for your sake you have brought me good news,” he growled.

Mathias to his credit, only struggled slightly, use to his master’s anger. He was equally irritated at their loss and this news would hopefully allow him to get back into Mordrios’ good graces. And if the ensuing fight would grant him his revenge, he was most eager to exploit that. “We have found four of the star children,” he groaned. “It seems our last one has led us to three others.” Mordrios released his grip, turning to stare at his lieutenant.

“Tell me.”

 

* * *

 

Mario and Luigi didn’t bother to wait until breakfast was over, in fact they didn’t even bother to _finish_ breakfast, to head over to their parents’ home. Once the realization that the babies were in danger, the older twins were immediately out of their chairs and heading out of the ballroom, running into Yoshi and Moshi, who were making their way to the room for food.

The Yoshis, though hungry, never the less saw the frightened expressions on the plumbers’ faces and agreed to assist the two. Knowing there was a warp pipe near the home, Mario lead the group to the garden’s warp pipe, taking it and arriving only a few yards from the home of the young Andolesi family. “You guys go around back,” Mario directed. “Keep an eye out for anyone, especially those shadow minions. Luigi and I will check inside. C’mon, Weegie!”

The two hurried towards the house, bursting through the front door, and stumbling into the quiet of an empty living room. “Ma?” Mario called.

“Pop?” shouted Luigi.

With unspoken agreement, the two split up, with Mario checking the kitchen and the backyard, while Luigi headed down the hall to check the bedrooms. Nothing. The two came back to the living room, looking at each other in terror. “Anything?” asked the eldest, receiving a shake of his brother’s head in response. “Where _are_ they?”

Cold, icy fear gripped both. Could they have been too late? Could Mordrios have discovered what they had? Learning that the babies were possibly also star children had been a lark, but if Mordrios was the type of knowing villain Luigi thought he was, he may have stumbled upon that knowledge before _they_ had even known of their _own_ star status. What if Mordrios already had them? The older twins had hoped maybe they would know, know if the younger boys were in trouble, just as their baby selves seemed to be aware when their older selves ran into danger.

Voices outside caused the two to turn towards the door, which they had stupidly left open. Readying themselves for an attack – and a future tongue lashing from their mother should they damage anything within the home – the two waited for the source of the voices.

“Weegie!”

Baby Weegie immediately ran towards his counterpart, seeing him as soon as he turned the corner to walk in. Luigi caught the boy as he jumped, hugging him tightly. “Hey buddy,” he cooed. “You okay?”

“What’re you two doing here?”

Amy and Martin were pleasantly surprised to see their older sons standing in the living room and hugging their younger selves. “Where’ve you _been_?” Mario asked, panicked and seemingly clutching the baby a little closer to him.

“We were having a picnic,” Martin stated, looking at the man in confusion. “The boys wanted to go outside, so we decided to take breakfast with us. Why? What’s wrong?”

“We have to get you out of here,” the elder twin said.

Whatever further discussion was to be had would be delayed when the sounds of an airship was heard overhead. Luigi’s eyes widened, his gaze locked on the familiar hooded figure of Mathias, standing outside the home, along with a few of his shadowy minions behind him. Seeing their son’s face, Amy and Martin turned to look behind them, confused to the new visitors on their lawn.

“Can we help you, friend?” asked Martin.

“I must say,” Mathias replied. “I never would have imagined there would be four star vessels within one family. And I have been to many worlds and have seen many things.”

“That sounds fascinating,” Amy drawled. “And I’m sure there’s an equally fascinating story behind what you’ve just said, but we’ve had a long morning, so you’ll forgive us for not inviting you in.”

“What is it you creatures say?” the being asked. “To take the easy way, you just need to hand over the four star vessels. Or we can engage in the hard way, where I will take the star vessels regardless.”

“Luigi,” Martin whispered, turning to his head slightly to address his younger son. “You and Mario take the boys and get away from here.”

“We aren’t leaving you here,” Mario hissed back. He had moved closer to the doorway, along with Luigi, ready to take on the group in the yard to put some distance between them and their parents.

“You heard your father,” Amy said, her eyes never leaving from those of Mathias. “We’ll take care of this.”

“Don’t worry,” Martin smirked. “We’ve been doing this before you four were born. Now get out of here.”

As one, the couple turned to fully face their adversaries and walked towards them before stopping halfway. “Darling,” Amy replied. “If I didn’t know better, I would say this shadow just threatened our sons.”

“I also got that impression,” Martin said. “That, my friend, is not the way to garner our friendship.”

Inside the home, Mario and Luigi were torn. They had come here to send their parents away in this exact fashion, but now they had been regulated to getting themselves and their younger counterparts to a safe place and hope their parents would make it back okay. “Come on,” insisted the elder twin. He turned and rushed from the living room, through the kitchen until he was out the backdoor and in the grassy field surrounding it.

Yoshi and Moshi, who had literally been standing around and eating some of the fruit off the trees, were startled to attention before rushing over to the four. The elder twins didn’t waste any time, putting their younger selves on the back of each Yoshi. “Get the babies to Peach’s castle,” Mario stressed.

“And don’t stop for nuttin’,” Luigi added.

“No!”

“Listen to me,” Mario said, moving closer to the crying baby. “Big Weegie and I _have_ to go back and make sure Ma and Pop are okay and then we’ll head back to the castle. But until then, you and Baby Weegie need to watch the princesses until we get there. _Capishe_ , Mariano?”

Both babies were whining, unhappy at being sent away, confused as to why they couldn’t help protect Mama and Papa, and scared that Mama, Papa, Mario, and Weegie would get hurt. “Go Yoshi!” Mario said, seeing the same confusion and fear in his friend’s eyes. The elder Yoshi only hesitated for a moment, watching as the two plumbers ran back into the house, before looking at the younger Yoshi and nodding for them to leave.

Back inside, Mario and Luigi could easily hear the sounds of a fight happening outside the door and the two sped up in their race to the front. “Ma, Pop, we’ll save…you?”

Coming out in to the front yard, the two plumbers were certain their parents were in peril, possibly being beaten or worse, but what they found was not at all what they had envisioned. The group of shadows that had been standing in the yard were now _laying_ in the yard, while those who were left standing immediately disappearing into smoke. Even with the scene however, there was no sign of either Mordrios or the ship that had left them there.

Amy and Martin were coming back up the path, looking no worse for wear. “I thought I told you boys to leave with the babies,” Martin chastised.

“We sent them to the castle!” Luigi defended, pointing in the direction of said castle.

“We came back here to help you!” Mario insisted. “To save you! Which…obviously…”

“What part of ‘we’ve been doing this before you were born’ did you miss?” Amy chuckled.

“Yeah, well…” Mario said, looking around. “Sometimes seeing is believing.”

“Where’s Mathias?”

“He dematerialized,” Martin explained. “As soon as he saw we weren’t going to back down, he took off.”

“Probably figured his shadow people would take care of us, so he decided he didn’t need to be around to watch,” Amy replied.

“All’s well that seems well,” Martin began. “Let’s head to the castle and…”

A loud shout was suddenly heard, causing the quartet to turn and run through the house towards the back entrance. Stumbling out, Mario and Luigi looked around, once again hearing shouting and the loud cries of one of the babies. Turning to their left, the quartet saw the aftermath of an unwinnable fight.

Moshi was laying on his side, unmoving, while Yoshi was trying to do battle with a group of shadows. The airship that had been heard earlier was now lifting its way up in the air, but it was the sight within the ship that caused the brothers’ hearts to stop – in the arms of Mathias was the struggling and wiggling form of Baby Mario. The baby was trying to escape, but he wasn’t having much luck.

The same was said for his brother, who didn’t bother to stop crying as he also tried to escape. Mario and Luigi wasted no time in running after the ship, with their parents behind them to help the fight against Yoshi. However, the group was too late – the shadows surrounding the lone Yoshi immediately faded out, taking their place on their ship once again, while the airship picked up speed, closing the hatch and trapping the babies inside.

 

* * *

 

The journey back to the castle was somber and quiet. A Parakarry had been dispatched to send medical personnel to the Andolesi home, taking both Yoshi and Moshi to the Toad Town medical center, assuring the family that the two were in good hands and that they would send a note once they were sure the two would be out of danger.

Frustrated, worried, and angry, the Andolesi family took the warp pipe back to the castle and immediately called for an official meeting within the conference room. Toadsworth, though a little annoyed at the quick command from Mario, none the less hurried to deliver the message to both princesses and King Criton, who was still in the castle. The family’s arrival hadn’t been quiet, not with Mario storming in and barking out orders, so the whole castle it seemed was aware that the plumbers had returned, especially when angry shouting could be heard from inside the throne room.

“You should have gone with the boys like we asked!”

“Forgive me if I thought perhaps you needed help!”

“Again! What part of ‘we’ve been doing this before you were born’, did you _completely_ miss!?”

A loud whistle rang through the room, stopping the argument that had begun just after the Andolesis had walked through the door. “Not that we don’t enjoy these little pep talks you guys have,” Daisy said, looking between both Mario and Amy. “But you called us in here for a reason, so…”

The combatants deflated their angry stances, both sighing and coming down from their earlier adrenaline high that had managed to carry them through the morning’s adventure. “Ma, I’m sorry,” Mario whispered, shaking his head. “You're right. We should’ve gone.”

“What’s happened?” Peach asked, noting the absence of the two youngest twins.

“He took ‘em,” Luigi murmured, his voice heavy with emotion. “They attacked us and took them. Mordrios has the twins.”

The quartet explained what happened – how Mathias, the lieutenant and the same shadowy figure that had been behind the previous kidnappings, had tried to attack the family at their own home. As they had feared, Mordrios seemed to know there were two additional star children and now, he had them. What he would do with them was anyone’s guess, but it wasn’t going to be good.

“We’re going to get them back,” Mario insisted, looking at his parents. He may have differed on their protection when he and Luigi had been children, but he never wanted this. And in many ways, on this day, he had let down his mother the same way he had on the day of her death. “Promettiamo. Otterremo indietro, non importa quale.”

“Sappiamo,” Amy said, gazing at both her adult sons.

“And we both know that you’ll do whatever it takes,” Martin added. “But if you’re anything like your younger selves – which I have to imagine you are – you’ll also jump in head first without considering the consequences.” Sending a sidelong look to Amy, he added, “It’s something you get from your mother.”

As jovial as the comment was, there was a seriousness to his statement that irked both plumbers, because they knew it was true. “Your father’s right,” Peach replied, placing a hand on Mario’s shoulder. “And I know you, I can see it in your eyes and your face. You’d take off right now if I told you to go; there’s actually a fairly good chance that you’d take off regardless. And I’m asking you _not_ to.”

Mario sighed, knowing that both the princess and his father were right. Even now, he knew Luigi was thinking the same thing – would it be possible for them to track down Mordrios and get the twins back? Trying to track down an airship that seemed to just pop into existence would be the least of their troubles, not to mention trying to fight off the minions that would be there.

And that didn’t even cover the fact that they had to ensure they had the right ship in the first place.

“Think about it this way,” Daisy piped up. “Let’s say you actually do manage to stumble on Mordrios and the babies, what happens if you get caught too? Then he’s got four out of nine star children and then where are we?”

Neither twin liked it, but everyone had a point – they would just be walking straight into Mordrios’ hands if they confronted him now.

“We’ll get the boys back,” Martin said. “But we need to find a way that doesn’t endanger them or you. And the best way to do that, I think, is to find out more about him, the dark star, and the star children legend.”

The plan was a good one, however there were several problems with it. Firstly, they weren’t even sure what kind of species Mordrios and his other followers were – was there a shadow species of beings that lived outside of the Mushroom Kingdom? Outside of their universe as a whole? Where exactly did they come from and how exactly did they learn about the Mushroom Kingdom?

Their second problem centered on the fact that they had seemingly exhausted all they knew about the dark star and the star children.

Or had they?

“Kammy…”

“What?” asked Luigi, looking at his brother.

Mario seemed to have come to a realization, though to the plumber it seemed like a _revelation_. “Kammy,” he repeated, looking at Peach. “Do you remember what she said? That there was a storm ahead and that we needed to look further into these legends? I know exactly what we need to do – we need to seek out the Star Spirits.”

“You’re right,” Peach breathed, sudden hope flooding into her once more. She was devastated to learn about the babies, but as ruler and heir, she had long since developed the ability to feel one way on the inside, but present a calm exterior on the outside. “She gave us a clue, no matter how vague and difficult she tried to make it. If we’re correct, the Star Spirits should have knowledge about both the Dark Star _and_ the star children legend.”

Casting a look at the nearby clock, Peach continued with, “It’s only midday, so if we hurried, we could reach Star Hill by nightfall.”

“We’d have to pack some food,” Daisy responded. She could see Peach was all set to go and the desert princess wasn’t about to miss out on another adventure, especially when she had quite happily pulled up a chair for a front row view. “And…”

“Excuse me,” Toadsworth huffed, coming to stand in front of both princesses. “And just where do you think the two of you are running off to?”

“Star Hill,” they both answered, though the princess in pink was only slightly surprised that Daisy planned to accompany them.

“Oh, I don’t think so,” Citron said, crossing his arms.

“Dad!”

“No,” he reiterated. “I didn’t spend nearly a week on that blob’s ship just so I could trade my prison with _you_.”

“Quite right,” Toadsworth agreed, giving his princess a similar look. “Sometimes my dear, I think you purposely forget that you are the princess to the kingdom and heir. I know your father placed you in this position for a reason and that reason was to not go off and get yourself killed!”

“You have more than just that to worry about,” Martin spoke up. Even after a day of their official meeting with the adult Princess Peach, the former knight still couldn’t believe how much the young royal took after her mother. The thinning of her lips and narrowing of her eyes was such a Dalia thing that he nearly called out her name before stifling the urge.

“You are also a star child, Princess,” he continued. “After that lecture to Mario about storming off and falling into Mordrios’ clutches, surely you know the consequences of what would happen should all _three_ of you go off?” He hated taking the wind from her sails, when it was clear that she wanted to not only get to the bottom of this, but help in any and every way she could.

“Do you have a better suggestion?” she whispered, defeat heavy in her voice.

“Yeah,” Martin replied. “Me. I’ll go with the boys to Star Hill and make sure nothing happens to them.”

If the elder Andolesi thought this solution would be welcomed, he was wrong. While he had alieved the fear and challenge from the princesses and their respective guardians, it did nothing to endear him to his older sons. The last thing they wanted or needed was a babysitter.

“You know,” Mario rounded on him, eyes flashing in anger. “Luigi and I are more than capable of heading to Star Hill by ourselves.”

Martin sighed. He’d known this was coming, even if he wasn’t well acquainted with the adult version of his eldest son. He knew the baby version was more than stubborn and he also knew that was a trait carried from _both_ parents. “Of that I have no doubt,” he replied. “However as previously mentioned, should the two of you be followed and found, then where will you be? Watching two sons get taken away by those shadow things was enough, do you really think your mother and I want to watch them take the other two as well?

“If you must, think of this as insurance. I’m ensuring your mother and the princesses that you and your brother are able to traverse from here to Star Hill without incident. This is nothing personal, Mario; it’s security, plain and simple.”

Perhaps it was the wrong thing to say; obviously in the end it was, as Mario glared at his father. “Do you honestly think that I’m not considering any type of safety in this matter?” he spat.

“I’m not saying that at all and you both know it,” he shot back, giving them both looks. While Luigi had been content to let his brother handle this, Martin could see the annoyance in his eyes just as clearly as it was revealed in Mario’s.

Relaxing his stance, Martin looked at both boys before returning his gaze to the eldest. “I will of course be more than happy to defer to the kingdom’s current protectors, following any and all orders given. I’m just offering my assistance, from one head of security to another.”

And like that, both plumbing brothers seemed to back off from their accusations. While both were now aware of their parents’ inclusion in the King’s Guard, until then they hadn’t known what their actual positions were. With their portraits hanging in the gallery, it was clear they had been a part of the personal guard to King Phineas and Queen Dalia, but Martin’s statement placed a definitive title for both father _and_ son.

There wasn’t anything official these days, not as they had been back when Martin and Amy served the kingdom, but it was generally accepted that Mario and Luigi were indeed the protectors for the kingdom, however seeing as Mario was usually the first person to be called on or was the first person aware of Peach’s kidnappings, his position was noted as being slightly higher than his brother’s. It would only make sense that of course he was in charge of security around the castle, often time being the general the Toad troops needed when in the midst of an attack.

Even Luigi, whose more level headed and diplomatic approach in some cases, wasn’t officially-on-paper the royal diplomatic advisor; it seemed as if he just occasionally traveled with Toadsworth, as the official royal advisor, when they needed to speak to a neighboring kingdom. It always looked as though Luigi was providing the security to Toadsworth while away.

Seeing the logic in the statement, even if it did irk them to have a glorified babysitter accompany them, Mario and Luigi had no other choice. Yes, they could go by themselves to Star Hill, but what if something _did_ happen? It took hours before they had been aware of Luigi being missing and that was only because the people at his destination knew he was coming and when he hadn't shown, they had reported back.

Nodding, though reluctant, both agreed to the arrangement.

“Good,” Martin replied, a small smile coming to his face. He had been afraid that the two would leave regardless and without him, so he was relieved to see that his logic was sound and was being heard. “While we’re gone, your mother can stay and look after the princesses.”

“Oh can I?” Amy asked, sarcastically. “Can I really?”

If he wasn’t dealing with one stubborn Italian, he was dealing with _three_. Turning to look at her, he said, “Don’t start, Ambrosia. You know this is the right course of action and if I hadn’t offered, you would have.”

The truth didn’t stop his wife from huffing. Of course, she would’ve volunteered. It had been on the tip on her tongue to do so before Martin had spoken. “Besides,” he continued, giving her a smile. “It’s me. I have the mind of an elephant, the agility of a cat, the hearing of a hawk, and the eyes of an eagle. I think we’ll be just fine.”

Taking a few steps back, Martin managed to walk into a food and tea cart that had been brought in during their discussion. So caught up between his sons and his wife, the former knight didn’t see nor hear the small Toad bringing in the cart, nor when Toadsworth had even arranged for it to be delivered. Thankfully, he only managed to rattle the cups and kettle, all the while grabbing the few pieces of silverware he’d knocked over before they fell to the floor.

Turning back to his wife, he indicated the cart he had just righted. “See how I easily avoided this cart that snuck up on me?”

Amy smirked. “I’m so glad I managed to snatch you up before all the other girls.”

“I’ll take your compliment, wife,” he retorted, continuing on his way to sit down before his near disastrous encounter with the cart. “However you intended it.”

With discussion still ongoing, Peach – ever the consummate host – urged everyone to sit, drink, and eat, sending a look to both brothers that indicated that was not a request for them. They hadn’t bothered to finish breakfast that morning and they were already near lunchtime. Wanting to avoid another argument, Mario nodded, pulling more than a few snacks onto his plate in order to appease her.

Though they had gone over the events of the morning, the Andolesis gave a more detailed version once the shock and anger had dissipated slightly. Amy and Martin gave their account of the battle that waged on the front lawn, while Mario and Luigi gave statement on what they had encountered once all four had rushed out to the back. That thought made the elder twin remark that they would need to check up on the two Yoshis, stating that with any luck they could perhaps use both to reach Star Hill.

“We can’t,” Luigi groaned, placing his head in his hands. At his brother’s confused look, he said, “Star child, remember? Yoshi?”

“Mama mia,” Mario huffed. “How in the great galaxy did the seven of us _not_ know we were star children when we _constantly_ spend time together?!”

“I wonder why he didn’t take him.”

“What’s that, my dear?” Toadsworth asked, turning to look at Daisy.

“Yoshi,” she explained. “Why didn’t they take Yoshi when they took the babies?”

“Hey yeah,” Luigi whispered, understanding what Daisy was getting at. “And if he had waited a few minutes, he would’ve gotten me and Mario too!”

“So why didn’t he?” asked the princess.

“It’s obvious that this blaggard was capitalizing on an opportunity,” Toadsworth spat.

“But that’s exactly the point,” Citron commented. “There was a perfect opportunity to snag five of these star children and he only took two. If you ask me, which you haven’t but I’m going to chime in anyways, he’s smart. And from the sounds of it, it sounds like his lackeys are also smart.”

Daisy had filled him during the rest of breakfast as to what was going on, with Peach doing her best to explain the situation as far as she knew it. All Ron knew was that there was a villain who was out to raise an ancient evil and he needed seven of them to do it; it was times like this the king was happy his kingdom was little known and far enough away that the only thing he ever worried about was another alien invasion.

It wasn’t that he didn’t love Peach – of course he did, like a fond niece – but he didn’t envy her one bit. Even now, he had to hold back his insistence that he and Daisy leave immediately. He knew Luigi would let them go, proving his care for his daughter, but said daughter would not only outright refuse, but she would find some way to head back, even if it meant going face to face with danger.

Why did she have to inherit _his_ adventurous spirit and not her mother’s love of staying in one place?

“Either way,” he continued. “He’s trouble and mark my words, this isn’t the last you’ve seen of him.”

“And that’s why we’re going to stop him,” Mario stated, giving the king a determined stare. “I’m certainly not gonna let this stand. You can mark my words on _that_.”

The rest of their time was spent trying to find the most optimal and low-key way to get to Star Hill. Given the time and that Yoshi, though faring better in his injuries as was Moshi, couldn’t be used to make the journey quicker, the group decided they would just wait until first light before heading out. The push in time only aggravated Mario, who hated sitting around when Mordrios’ was doing who knew what to their baby selves.

Toadsworth, ever practical and probably wondering what would happen while the male Andolesis were gone, brought up what they should do in the case Bowser attacked.

“I highly doubt that’s going to happen,” Luigi replied, taking another tea cake and popping into his mouth.

“Did he tell you that himself?” the retainer huffed. “It wouldn’t be against his nature to use our current situation as an excuse to kidnap the princess.”

“Call it a cease fire if you will,” the younger plumber insisted. “Taking Peach does nothing for him, not when Mordrios is after him as well. All he’d be doing would be delivering himself and Peach in that…that madman’s hands.”

“That’s what your mother is around for,” Martin piped up, sending a look to his wife. “She might be a little rusty, but she knows what she’s doing.”

“I’m sorry, but which one of us was attacked by a food cart twenty minutes ago?”

“Besides,” the former knight continued, ignoring the quip from his beloved. “Amy and I have handled worse things than Bowser before.”

That was surprising, causing both sons to look over at their father. In comparison to some of their other villains they had faced, it was true Bowser didn’t hold that big of a threat, however the one thing the lizard king had on his side was determination and persistence; most of the other villains were easily defeated and vowed to never approach the Mushroom Kingdom or their sworn protectors ever again.

With the dismissal of a potential attack from their common enemy, even if Toadsworth thought the matter needed more discussion, the talk moved on to more pleasant conversation, with Martin and Amy trading some stories of the king and queen, with Citron chiming in on some of his own. The rest of the day was spent with Martin, Mario, and Luigi readying for their trip to Star Hill, the hope that it would give them the answers they needed.

 

* * *

 

The sun had just risen when the trio of Martin, Mario, and Luigi set about for their journey to Star Hill. Mario, usually not an early riser, was still yawning and drinking from a large mug of coffee that Peach had prepared for him. The trip, even with warp pipes, would still take several hours and it was assumed that it would nearly be night before they would return.

The first leg of their journey would start from the castle, through the warp pipe that was situated in the garden. That pipe, which was only known to those within the castle or close to castle staff, actually lead to a wide area where one could turn in any direction and face a well-known location – to the west, Mario had traveled towards the pipe that had taken him to Kong Island and could have taken him to Dinosaur Island, home to the Yoshis.

To the east, one could travel to that of the Beanbean Kingdom, home to Queen Bean, her son Prince Peasley, and good Lady Lima. To the south, one could begin the journey to Daisy’s homeland of Sarasaland, though this course would lead to the area of Eaton and not Chai, which was why Daisy always took the shorter path.

To the north, one could get to Iceland, Luigi’s original destination before being captured by Mordrios. This was the quickest path to Iceland and one could theoretically reach Darkland from this area as well.

There was also what Mario and Luigi deemed the 'local pipe' that could take them near the area of Toad Town, which was how they reached the home of their parents. On occasion, the two would take the pipe to their old house, though at this point only Luigi was home enough to actually use it and that was when he wasn't at Daisy's.

If one never took any of the pipes to the other kingdoms, they could instead make their way towards Star Hill. Martin seemed to remember there had been a warp pipe from Toad Town that lead to Star Hill, however it seemed that the pipe was only available in the timeline he was from and was nowhere to be found in the present, though the quicker path would have been easier for all involved.

Martin couldn’t lie – he was actually excited for this trip. Since the birth of their younger twins, he and Amy hadn’t been as active in their duties as the Mushroom Kingdom’s protectors. Thankfully, aside from their run-ins with some of the Koopa Troops from Darkland, the couple and kingdom was able to enjoy relative peace. In fact, Martin couldn’t actually remember the last time he had gone on an adventure by himself and this new journey would certainly be different.

Both princesses, Amy, and Toadsworth saw the trio off, standing in the eastern part of the garden where the warp pipe stood. Despite being armed with several power-ups, Peach still felt the need to tell all the three to be careful. “You too,” Mario replied, giving her hand a squeeze. “If Bowser does make a move…”

“He won’t,” she interrupted. “In this I believe Luigi is right.”

“If Bowser _does_ make a move,” he began again, giving her a hard look.

Placing both her hands on his cheeks, Peach again stopped his sentence. “Your mother will do a fine job of protecting me,” she said. “And I’ll be sure to keep myself hidden so that he can’t find me or at least, he’ll have to _work_ to find me.”

“I have a feeling you’re just saying this to appease me.”

“Perish the thought,” she giggled, dropping an affectionate kiss on his forehead.

“Don’t go reading my wishes while you’re there,” Daisy joked, poking her boyfriend in the arm.

“Oh?” he asked. “I bet I know what they are.”

“You don’t.”

“I wish I was an awesome tennis player like that handsome Luigi Andolesi,” he quoted, his voice high to mimic that of the desert princess.

“Brat,” she said, trying to poke him again, only to have her hand captured by his own. “When you get back, I’m schooling you in the sport.”

“If all goes well,” Martin was saying, nodding to both boys as they said goodbye to their sweethearts. “We should be back before night. Hopefully we’ll get the answers we seek from the Star Spirits, which will put us back on even footing with our foes.”

“Well, I’m sure you’ll use that big brain of yours to get everything settled,” came the quip. “It goes without saying, but take care of yourself.”

Smirking, Martin said, “If I didn’t know any better, I would think you cared.”

“I don’t care,” Amy chuckled. “I’m just used to you, is all.”

“Me thinks the lady doth protests too much,” came the quip. Martin went to drop a kiss on her cheek, but Amy turned quickly, catching her husband’s lips with her own.

Pulling back, she looked her husband in the eye. “Not a scratch,” she said. Looking over his shoulder, she leveled her eyes on the two plumbers. “And that goes for the two of you as well. The three of you come back with so much as a bruise between you…”

Martin dropped another kiss on his wife’s lips, before turning and heading for the boys. “No worries, Ma,” Mario snickered. “If we do, you can be sure Luigi will get a _full_ examination…”

The smack to his head was the only thing to stop the continuation of that sentence, with an angry muttered, “Shut up!” coming from his brother.

“Ow!” cried the eldest. “Ma!”

“Goodbye boys!” Amy said, waving happily as the trio began to take off. “You’re your father’s problem now!”

The quartet watched as father and sons each took their turn down the warp pipe and leaving them in the quiet of the morning.

“I hope they’ll be alright,” Peach whispered.

“They’ll be fine,” Amy said, her confidence covering up her own worry. “Martino will take care of them and the boys will take care of their father.”

“Absolutely,” Toadsworth added. “I have every confidence of those three finding out the answers we need, just as Martin described. Come now, let’s not continue standing out here. We’ll have some tea and consider what we should do in the case that brute Bowser does decide to take advantage.” Turning towards the door, he said, “Come along now, your highness.”

The three watched as the elderly toad began to walk back into the castle, before following him. “Let’s spend the rest of the time saying inappropriate things to Toadsworth and see how much we can make him blush.”

Daisy and Peach looked Amy before looking at each other, with the former princess whispering, “Oh, I like her.”

 

* * *

 

The green hills of the Mushroom Kingdom still managed to fill Martin with a sense of awe and inspiration. It didn’t matter that he had grown up in the kingdom, there were still many areas of the lands that he hadn’t seen, such as the lands between the castle and Star Hill. He supposed he thought there would be enough time for him to see the surrounding areas, maybe there was hope that he would be able to see those areas with his small family.

Looking at the adult versions of his own twin sons, Martin’s curiosity about them rose. It wasn’t just the thrill of a new adventure that had Martin volunteering to accompany Mario and Luigi – the idea that he could learn more about these two men was just too intriguing to ignore. He of course knew that he couldn’t ask too many questions; there was at least three decades between the younger twins and their older counterparts, which meant there were things that Martin couldn’t know, least it change how he approached the future.

He could tell Amy was starting to rethink some of their previous decisions and though seeing their adult sons while they were still small was a treat most parents could wish for, Martin was actually afraid that this would help change her mind about moving to Brooklyn. As scared as he was about living in a city he wasn’t familiar with, he would do _anything_ if it meant he’d be able to know these two as they were now.

There were questions that he wanted answered, but only one was important enough that he was afraid of the truth. From their previous discussions, it was clear that neither Mario nor Luigi had been aware of the Mushroom Kingdom or their connection to it, meaning that he and Amy had decided not to reveal the truth, perhaps thinking that the two would never come across warp pipes in such a big city as Brooklyn.

Though the thought made sense, Martin didn’t think he and Amy would just forget the time and place where they had met, fallen in love, and where they had wanted to raise a family. Despite her sometimes rough and tumble demeanor, his wife was a romantic at heart and the knight didn’t believe she would ever _not_ share with her family how they had met and what the Mushroom Kingdom meant to their relationship.

The only other explanation was that neither he or Amy had been _able_ to tell the boys about their former home. Martin wasn’t sure what the circumstances could be where they couldn’t tell the boys what they needed to know, but the obvious answer was too disturbing for him to consider, especially if the answer meant that he had left his own sons the way his father had left him.

“Have you ever been to Star Hill?” he asked, turning to look at the boys.

The three began to walk down one of the grassy paths that were around the area, keeping their eyes open for anything that could be lurking around. It was common knowledge that the areas outside of the populated cities could hold wild creatures, like Goombas, buzzy beetles, spinies, piranha plants, and more and that didn’t include the occasional Koopa Troop patrol that made it their mission to harass anyone connected to the Mushroom Kingdom.

“Mario has,” Luigi spoke, pointing to his brother. “I’ve only been there once and even then, the gate wouldn’t let me in.”

“I’ve only been three times,” Mario groused. “And all three were for a good cause.”

Martin shook his head. “Why wouldn’t the gate let you in?” he asked, turning to look at both. Luigi’s head dropped, as he shook his head in disappointment.

“It’s a long story, Pop,” he whispered, despondently.

“We seem to have plenty of time.”

“It’s nothing,” Mario stated, glaring at his brother before addressing their father. “That gate was screwing around with us and told him he couldn’t go through, which was a lie. Once me and the babies threatened to pound him into star _pieces_ , he changed his tune pretty quick.”

“That’s not what he told me,” the younger brother whispered, sadly.

“What he told you was _cazzate_ , eh!?” Mario said, bringing his brother to a stop by grabbing his arm. “How many times I gotta tell you that?”

Something had obviously happened that would make Luigi question himself and make Mario defend him, even from himself and it was something Martin wanted and needed to know, but not now. He’d speak to his youngest about it later, instead he walked over to the two, chastising Mario for his language and telling Luigi that this Star Gate obviously didn’t know what he was dealing with, if he was bold enough to try taking on four Andolesis.

“I have enough with three of you, let alone four,” he joked, giving the plumber an affectionate pat on the back of his neck.

The three continued on, in quiet contemplation and Martin knew the previous conversation weighed heavy on both. “Did you boys know your mother and I once fought a giant Hammer Brother?”

“What?”

“No way!”

“How?” they both asked, looking at him in wide eyed excitement.

Martin smirked, more at the familiar looks of wonder that he was growing used to with their younger counterparts. He’d actually been telling the boys some of the more tame adventures he and their mother had been on, as bedtime stories. He was sure Amy knew about it, even when he insisted they were simple adventure stories that he was totally making up; there was something about the way their eyes lit up when he began his tales.

From that point, the three traded stories of their adventures, with Martin learning about Mario’s status as the kingdom’s foremost hero, while his younger brother had seemingly stayed in his shadow, at least according to Luigi. The older brother was quick to highlight the time the younger had saved his life against a mansion full of Boos, even fighting against King Boo, the king of all the ghostly apparitions. This wasn't even including the younger plumber's own adventures, which had been published.

It was interesting to see the little traits that his younger sons shared with their elder counterparts. While Amy often stated the boys had gotten his looks, not to mention his nose, looking at the men his sons would become those traits were actually more prominent, allowing him to see what the future would hold. In their adult forms, Martin actually thought they looked more like their mother – they had her light brown hair, bright blue eyes, and her smile.

It was something he could easily see in the twins now, but it was clearer in form with their adult versions. A slight chill managed to go up Martin’s spine when he thought about the incoming teen years he had yet to face; he could see it now – two attractive sixteen-year-old boys, with big blue eyes, and alluring smiles…no wonder the two managed to turn the heads of two separate princesses.

“We got trouble,” Luigi murmured, pulling to a halt and causing the other two to do the same. Ahead of them, a small group of both buzzy beetles and spinies, each moving back and forth across their path, blocking their way. Though small, both miniature creatures could prove to be trouble, especially in confined spaces – they were tough foes, even with the use of power-ups.

Buzzies, as most people called the beetles, wore hard shells on their back, creating an impenetrable shield against fire, putting the use of fire flowers out of the mix, however they could be jumped on. That only caused them to hide within their shells, allowing just enough time to escape before the creature would pop back out and be on the hunt again. Spinies, on the other hand, would cause immense damage when jumped on, thanks to the thick spikes that lined the shells on their back.

They were, however, susceptible to fire.

On their own, the two groups were deadly enough – they were slightly faster than Goombas, but unlike the squat creatures, they were worse in groups, regardless of size.

Martin took a few steps forward, feeling the same sense of excitement he used to get when faced with worthy enemies. “Don’t worry, boys,” he said, pulling out a fire flower and crushing it in his hands. The warmth and fiery rush of power was familiar as it coursed through his body, sending the powerful magic through his arms until he could feel the heat coming from his hands.

Turning to give them a cheeky look, he said, “Daddy’s got this.”

Martin marched forward, causing both groups of enemies to turn towards him. “Hello kids,” he said. “Can I play too?” Three buzzy beetles and two spinies immediately began moving forward towards the former knight, however Martin didn’t wait around for them to reach him, instead he jumped up, landing on the first buzzy twice.

The first jump caused the creature to scramble into its shell, while the second was used to pushed the shell into the line of enemies behind it, causing a domino effect as the shell hit the two other buzzies and spinies and knocking them off the path and into the grassy area. The rest of the group, seeing their comrades in danger, also turned and started to head Martin’s way, with buzzies seemingly creating a shield to the weaker spinies.

Again, Martin used a double jump to hit the first two buzzies that reached him, sending them in different directions and taking several of their brethren with them. With the first line of defense now down, he was able to use the power of his fire flower, but not in the way his sons had ever seen before. When they used a fire flower, they immediately just threw out fireballs to incoming enemies, usually trying to keep them back before they came within reach.

Martin, however, was able to actually direct the aim of his fireball. Like an expert bowler, Martin let a fireball loose from his left hand, letting it bounce upwards before it hit the ground and started rolling towards the spinies, knocking out the clustered group away. Once defeated, Martin turned to give his sons another cheeky smile over his shoulder.

“C’mon,” he said. “Coast is clear.”

Both plumbing brothers just stood there, looking at their father and the ease at which he had just managed to disarm two groups of foes. Their mouths were open and eyes wide in surprise, as they watched their father continue down the path towards their destination. “We have the coolest dad ever,” Luigi managed to murmur, with Mario nodding quickly in awe.

The two rushed to catch up to the former knight, both peppering questions at him before they had even stopped the jog. The similarities between them and their younger selves was so endearing, Martin couldn’t help but laugh.

 

* * *

 

The sun was set in the middle of the sky when the trio finally reached the lavender tiles that began the path to Star Hill. The three had taken lunch at a small Toad house that sat on the outskirts of Star Hill, a strange location to be sure, but the proprietor was nice enough and seemed to enjoy staying in an area that didn’t seem to have a ton of people populating it.

Past the Toad home started the tiled area that marked the passage to Star Hill, surrounding a mosaic road that lead up to a blue warp pipe. The pipe would lead up to the actual area of where all the stars lived, apparently being guarded by an actual gate, judging people before allowing them into the home of the Star Spirits and Star Kids

To Martin’s remembrance, what they called Star Hill was what he knew as Shooting Star Summit, but was the same place most knew it to be – the home to all the stars and where inner wishes were granted. It was said that the Star Spirits were responsible for granting the wishes of hopeful couples, sending out storks to deliver babies to worthy parents. He had never been to Shooting Star Summit or Star Hill at this point, having no need to encounter those who supposedly watched over the kingdom, including the royal family.

They took the mosaic path up to the warp pipe, with Mario going first, then Luigi, then Martin bringing up the rear. The pipe deposited them on an ice plateau, with a slope that lead to what Martin could only assume was the gate his sons had mentioned. “Do you think the gate will judge us again?” Luigi questioned quietly.

“It better not,” growled Mario. “He’s already tested us and quite frankly, that was the only time I’ve ever had to deal with it.”

“How did you get here before?” Martin asked, starting up the slope, with the two following him.

“I didn’t come from the castle,” Mario admitted. “The first time I had to light these weird star shaped flowers, as it used to be impossible to actually get here. Especially considering that Smithy had his minions covering the entire land. Second time, I was unconscious. Goombario and his family were the ones that helped me to get here. And well, the third time, me, Luigi, and the babies came here in order to get the pieces for the Cobalt Star. _That_ was the first time I’ve ever had to get access from that gate.”

“Maybe it just because you were _Mario_ and you have a backdoor into Star Haven,” Luigi muttered.

“Boys,” Martin said, giving them both a look before Mario could send a retort to his brother’s comment. The elder man wanted to just believe this was just sibling rivalry at its peak, but he couldn’t shake off the notion there was a lot more to this. He’d only seen some minor incidences with the twins now, usually over toys or one of them wanting the attention of either Amy or himself, but this seemed deeper than they had time for.

Luck seemed to be in their favor as they reached the top of the summit and saw the glimmering star road that branched out to the right, a road that had opened for the twin quartet after receiving a message from what they had thought was the spirit of the Cobalt Star. It turned out that the actual Elder Shroob Princess had tricked them and was actually in the star, something that Baby Weegie seemed to have sensed while still on the hill.

The glittering road was equally long, though it gave Martin a new view of the world. The stars were a lot closer and he could see their brightness, surrounded by the darkened blue of the night sky, even though he was aware that they had entered this place just after lunch. Finally, the three reached a golden platform, which held a giant star into two transparent pillars. There was a seal down the middle, which Martin assumed was the opening that they needed in order to go forward.

The three stopped to view the giant star, readying themselves to see what the gate would say. “Ready?” asked Martin, turning to look at the men to his left. The two nodded their keenness and the three stepped forward, stopping when two eyes and a mouth suddenly appeared on the front side of the star, slightly startling the elder protector.

“Pilgrims and wanderers,” it began, its rich, deep voice booming over and around them. “What is it you seek in this sanctified place? Beyond this gate lies the sacred realm of the stars, keepers of light. Those judged unworthy or without purpose will not be allowed to enter.”

Martin glanced to his left, seeing his youngest son gulp at that mention. Taking a breath, Martin approached the gate, but halted at its loud, “Stop. No words of explanation will be necessary. All that I require is an appraisal of your worth. Such is the entry key.”

Though its eyes didn’t move, it seemed to distinctly see the two plumbers in its radius. “Ah,” it continued. “Red man of mustache, I remember your heart and your appetite. I see your virtue and courage still leads you, as does your concern for your brother and other loved ones. You have grown in popularity, but not in belly. My recommendation of puttanesca has lowered your caloric intake, as it is tasty as it is delicious.

“I continue to deem you most worthy to pass through this gate.”

Mario nodded, happy that his worth was still able to allow him passage.

“Green man of mustache, I also remember your heart.” Luigi again gulped and nodded. “And I remember…that I owe you an apology. It seems that my previous test of your worthiness afflicted your heart more than you let on. That you feel so deeply for those you care for is the reason I needed to test you and for that I do apologize. You are of course most worthy to enter, but…

“I feel that I should correct my past error with a word of caution. I fear that you will endure a great hardship, one that will test your resolve and will present a foreboding danger. It is important that you heed your courage and preservation, for if you fail, you will find your heart and will turned against you and those you care for. However, I believe that you have the ability to overcome the challenge, but it is too uncertain to be clear.”

Luigi glanced at his brother, scared by the gate’s words. What could possibly happen that could turn him against the people he loved? And more importantly, _when_ would this event happen? Was the gate speaking in the current time or did it mean a future event?

“That’s quite enough,” Martin said, stepping in front of the gate and seemingly causing its attention to turn back to him. “Why don’t you judge _me_?”

“Silver man with clean face,” the gate responded, again its eyes never moved from its position, but it was obviously directing its attention to the knight. “You stand before me. Speak no words. Open your heart.” The gate closed its eyes and frowned in concentration, pondering and deciphering what he saw in Martin’s heart.

“Silver man with clean face,” it said. “You are strong and thoughtful. Your heart is filled with virtue and concern for your sons, both young and elder. I do recommend you do well to watch your questions, for your determination will uncover truths that you are not to know at this time. It will be difficult to refrain, as your love for your family are always at the forefront of your mind, but you must resist the urge.

“I deem you most worthy to pass this gate. Without further delay, let the gate be opened. May the road ahead bring you all much happiness.”

The face disappeared, right as the gate opened to reveal another starry road, this one leading up to the actual kingdom of the stars. Martin and Mario began to head towards the doorway, but stopped when they noticed Luigi wasn’t following. “Louie?”

“What do you think he meant?” he asked, his blue eyes widened in fear. “About…about something turning my heart against the people I care about?”

“It doesn’t mean anything…” Mario started, but silenced when Luigi interrupted him.

“Stop saying that!” he cried. “It obviously means _something_ or else the gate wouldn’t bother to mention it! What if…”

“Stop,” Martin said, walking over to his younger son and putting his hands on his shoulders. “Luigi, stop it. Firstly, you don’t know what’s going to happen. Secondly, it could easily be a metaphor for _anything_ in life; life itself is uncertain and yes, there may times in which your heart has _truly_ turned against you, but I _know_ you.”

The plumber in green shook his head. “You don’t know me,” he sighed. “You only know baby me.”

Martin smiled slightly. “That’s true enough,” he whispered. “But one thing remains – you are still _my_ _son_. And whatever happens, you will overcome it and you will not be alone when you do so. Right now, however, I need my son -” Looking over at Mario, who had joined them, he amended, “ _Both_ of my sons to help stop this threat that’s attacking our _home_. Can I count on you to do that?”

The younger twin nodded, looking up at both his father and brother, before nodding with a more determined air. “Yeah, Pop,” he said, his voice wavering a little, but stronger than it had been a moment ago. “You got me.”

Martin smiled, clasping a fatherly hand on the man’s neck. “Let’s go,” he said, gesturing for Mario to take the lead. “Mario, lead the way.”

Sir Martin once again took the rear, letting the older boys take the lead towards the stars they needed to speak to. It actually gave him time to think over the words of the star gate. Obviously the last time his boys had met this gate, it had devised an insidious test for his younger son, something that had apparently stuck with him, even months after the fact. For that, Martin was glad he’d accompany the boys and not Amy; his wife wouldn’t have tolerated hearing about whatever had been done to her baby and would’ve blasted the gate down when she had.

Speaking of his wife, he was actually surprised at how much Luigi actually _did_ take after her. Neither would admit to having a favorite child, however they were starting to see some of their own personalities being reflected in the younger twins. At this point, they both felt that Mario took after Amy, while Luigi took after him.

Mario was very much the outgoing twin, happy to engage in his own growing communication with others, while also being the first to right any wrong doings he saw. It was this ‘leap first, look later’ attitude that lead to his adventures with the Yoshis in rescuing his brother and most likely, their adventure regarding the alien Shroobs. Mario was Amy’s baby boy to a tee.

Luigi, on the other hand, was much more cautious than his older brother. He was more reserved and shy, only opening up to those he knew and was often reluctant to join Mario in what he considered to be ‘dangerous’ play. While Mario had been the first to both walk and talk, Luigi seemed happiest when he got to observe everything around him, sometimes knowing when bad things were about to happen. Luigi was his boy, Martin could fully admit that.

However, seeing these adult versions, it seemed clear that Luigi had gotten Amy’s heart – oh, she was still very much someone who wasted no time when it came to fighting for what was right, but in that short moment between them, Martin could see the face and heartache of his wife. Amy would _never_ do anything that put her family in danger and she would be devastated if the gate had delivered the same news to her that he had to their son.

Mario, to that degree, held Martin’s own determined air, his refusal to believe the gate’s words to be true about his brother evident before they had even reached the area. Martin was fairly sure his eldest son no doubt held a grudge against the gate, annoyed and irritated at what it had put his brother through and holding a grudge was something Martin knew all about.

He still seethed with anger whenever he relived some of his earlier adventures as a young guard and knight within the Mushroom Kingdom, the most frequent ones were about a princess he had saved a few times from a crazed ape. Those days were usually the same - him dodging barrels and other obstacles on a crudely constructed wireframed building, while the ape yelled and shouted from above, the young princess crying out in fear along with him. It was bad enough the ape refused to listen to reason, but then he had started going around telling people the knight had murdered his son, which was ridiculous as the monkey had, yes, sustained some serious injuries, he had still _lived_.

Something that couldn’t be said for the men who had tried to save the princess before Martin took up the cause.

For as long as he lived, Martin would _never_ forgive the ape people called Cranky Kong for slandering his name in the land of Osgreth.

Shaking off the mist of anger that always cropped up when he thought back to those days, Martin continued following the boys over the star road and up to another platform, however the color scheme had changed back to the muted lavender they had seen before. Hurrying up the large steps, the three reached the top and what seemed to be the foremost point of Star Hill in general.

Confused, both Martin and Luigi looked at each other, before turning this way and that, searching for what their next move would be. On the ground before them was a large circular stone dais, with the impression of seven star symbols curved around the inner most portion; in the center was a much larger star as the focal point.

Stepping towards the center star, Mario took a breath and waited a moment, knowing what would occur in time. Just as Luigi opened his mouth to ask his brother what it was they were waiting for and the moment Martin decided to silence him, hoping his elder son knew what was supposed to happen, all eight stars began to glow, a different color for each before a tube made itself visible to them. The tube went straight up and seemed to be compromised of a number of different sized stars, all swirling around within.

“It’s safe,” Mario said, casting a look behind with a small smile, an almost identical one to what his father had delivered earlier in the day. “Come on.” Showing the same no fear attitude he shared with his mother, the red clad plumber stepped in to the swirling vortex before being swept upwards with a gleeful, “woo hoo!” as he went.

Martin didn’t need to see the face of his other son, he could tell Luigi felt the same trepidation he was experiencing looking at the wonder. Placing a hand on his shoulder, he whispered, “It’s okay, Louie. I’ll be right behind you.”

Luigi, like his brother before him, nodded as he took a deep breath and stepped into the vortex. And like his older brother, he too was swept up with a surprised scream before leaving his father’s sight. Taking another look around him, at the stars and sky, Martin followed the path his sons had made and was also transported upwards through the tube. The trip didn’t take long, mere minutes, and all that passed by was a blur before righting itself upon stopping at what Martin assumed was the top.

His older sons stood off to the side, obviously waiting for him, though it looked like Mario was doing his best to calm his younger brother. Martin looked down, seeing their newest road seemed to be made with pulsating stars, similar to those that made up the vortex they had just left. “Okay, Pop?”

Martin nodded, though he was clearly distracted at the new view he was presented with. Nodding, Mario patted his brother’s shoulder before continuing down the path to the right, this one now aligned with tall lamp posts shaped as crescent moons and fluffy clouds that sat at their bottoms. In front of them seemed to be a small little town, only inhabited by the stars themselves, and as Martin looked to his right, he saw a large blue building, with a curved dome for a roof.

“Bro,” Luigi asked, quietly as they continued forward. “Where are we?”

“Star Haven,” Mario announced, nodding to some of the star people as they passed. "This is where most of the star kids come to become shooting stars and…it’s our final destination.” Looking at his brother, he continued with, “This is where the seven Star Spirits live.”

Martin couldn’t believe his eyes and if he wasn’t already used to the strange things that happened below them in Mushroom Kingdom, he’d almost believe that none of this was real, but his eyes clearly saw what they saw. It wasn’t so much the magic of the place, but the beauty. Even traipsing up the slopes of Star Hill, the icy landscape was eye catching, with light cascading off the shimmering surfaces to create a kaleidoscope of colors.

The glory of being so close to the stars they saw on a nightly basis was quite humbling and for some reason, it brought to mind the first conversation he and Amy ever had - that is the first one where he wasn’t accusing her of being an assassin; she had said the kingdom’s stars were different from what she was used to in Brooklyn. Though he had glimpsed the New York skyline when he had traveled there, he had to admit that those stars of gladiators and gods couldn’t compare with the ability to actually see a shooting star flash by your face.

Mario led them off to the right, the one that would lead them towards the strange castle like building. Outside, the area seemed to be covered by water, such a strange sight to see when so high up in the atmosphere, but it sparkled, catching the starlight in its waters. Before reaching the doors that would lead them inside, Mario was nearly bowled over by a small golden star.

“Mario!” it cried. “It _is_ you! I wasn’t sure at first, but it’s clearly you!”

“Twink?” the plumber asked, confused by the little thing. “It is! What’re you doing here?”

The former star kid Twink gave the plumber a wink. “I got called up here after I helped you and the princess!” he said. “I now work along side the seven Star Spirits. Isn’t that great?”

“It sure is,” Mario said, smiling at the now grown star. “I knew you’d make it up here, the sooner the better. Actually, maybe you can help me again.”

“Of course!” Twink exclaimed. His smile immediately turned into a frown however. “Oh no! Is it the princess? Is she okay?”

“She’s fine, Twink,” he said. “And I’ll be sure to let her know how well you’re doing. But my friends and I do need some answers that only the Star Spirits can help us with. Do you think we could get in to see them?”

“Sure!” the little star said, bouncing up and down. “Follow me!”

The three quickly followed the little star up the stairs, coming to a huge wooden door that swung open once the little star was near. Inside, the room opened up to a large two story library like structure. The walls were lined with books and other documents, with both the ground floor and top having soft leather chairs placed sporadically around for the comfort of others.

A few stars seemed to be going in and out, some becoming shooting stars and thus gathering wishes, while others appeared to be rushing down to grant wishes for those pure of heart.

“Mario!” replied an elder star, floating over to them. “My, what a surprise!”

“Eldstar,” Twink addressed. “Mario and his friends need your help!”

The elder star, Eldstar, was an older gentlemen star, with bushy white eyebrows and mustache to match. His green eyes were kind, though they held the light of surprise when his assistant mentioned the great hero Mario needed his help.

“Of course,” the elder nodded. “It would be my pleasure, surely, after the help you provided to us in retrieving the Star Rod. Come, follow me.”

The trio said goodbye to the little star before following the elder one down the center of the room and into a nearby room, a study with several more books and documents scattered about. There were a few chairs gathered in a circle in the center, which Eldstar directed the three to sit. “Now,” the star replied. “How can I help you?”

Mario quickly introduced the other two, though Eldstar stated he already knew who they were, noting Luigi’s good deeds around the kingdom and his exploits with the Boos, and though confused at how Martin could be in their timeline, he knew exactly who the knight was. Both twin brothers went back and forth in describing what they were looking for, information on the star children legend and that of the Dark Star.

Eldstar was a bit intrigued in hearing that others knew about the star children, however his shine seemed to dim upon hearing about the Dark Star. “As you know,” he began, taking the floating equivalent of actual pacing. “I am the oldest star spirit here and I do know of both of these things. Now, there may be things I have forgotten, but to my knowledge, both of these events happened at roughly the same time, but I can’t remember if the destruction of the Dark Star happened first or if the Star Children legend began first. Wait. Let’s get this solved quickly.”

Floating to the open doorway, Eldstar called out to one of the passing stars, inviting him in before closing the door. Coming back to the center of the room, Eldstar escorted a lavender star with glasses before them, with Mario suddenly recognizing him as Skolar, the most scholarly of the Star Spirits. “Mario, you remember Skolar,” Eldstar introduced. “Skolar, this is Mario’s brother Luigi and their father Sir Martin of Pau.”

Skolar nodded to them.

“They come to retrieve information about both the Dark Star and the Star Children legend,” Eldstar continued. “I know both separately, but I can’t remember which happened first. I’m hoping you can add to my story as I tell it.”

“Indubitably, Eldstar,” Skolar replied. “I am of course happy to help.”

“To start,” the elder began. “The Star Spirits as you know us to be, are direct descendants of the Star Sprites, our ancestors who started this haven for us and began the procedure of star wishes as we know it now. As with any ancestor, they were quite different from us, with their forms being more spherical than our current shape. I’m not sure why that is, to be honest.”

“These sprites,” Skolar took over, though he glanced at the elder star to receive his blessing for doing so. “Were the ones that initially were responsible for sealing away the presence of the Dark Star and from my findings and research, they are also the ones responsible for sending out the stars that would eventually land within seven babies, however the names and location of these babies is unknown.”

“Until now.”

Both Skolar and Eldstar looked at the three, confused as to what Luigi could possibly mean. The younger twin, with support from both his father and brother, began to tell the two Star Spirits the events of the past week – how a new villain was stalking the Mushroom Kingdom, looking for those star children and how he wanted to use them to once again raise the Dark Star.

“As for their identities,” the plumber in green sighed. “You’re looking at two of them and you know two others.”

“Impossible!” Skolar exclaimed, mouth dropping at the very implication.

“Are you saying the two of you are star children?” Eldstar asked, just as surprised.

Mario nodded. “As are Princess Peach and Bowser,” he replied.

“Preposterous!” Skolar huffed, shaking in denial. “Do you mean to tell that us that not only are you star children, but that you know the identities of two others?”

“We know the identities of all _seven_ star children,” Mario retorted.

“Only there _isn’t_ just seven of us,” Luigi added. “There’s _nine_.”

“No,” Eldstar whispered. “This can’t be.”

“It’s impossible,” Skolar joined, asserting his previous statements. “And yet…” he trailed off, turning to look at the elder star. “We can check them ourselves,” he said. “If they truly are what they say, then the wand should show us what we need to know.”

“Show you what?” asked Martin.

“Please bring it,” Eldstar said, ignoring the knight’s question and sending the scholarly spirit out.

“Bring what?” Mario asked, his irritation starting to rise. They’d come here for help and now, they were being questioned and accused of lying?

“My apologies, Mario,” Eldstar said, bowing slightly. “But what you say…we must be sure.” Skolar was back quickly, closing the door behind him and once again, coming to float before the three. This time however, he held a star wand in his hand and was waving it slowly around Mario and Luigi.

“Just what exactly are you doing?” Martin demanded, standing from his chair, however the combined gasps of the two stars gave him pause.

“I don’t believe it,” Skolar whispered, his voice wavering with a touch of wonder. Both stars seemed to be staring at something above the heads of the twins, causing both to look at each other, upwards at the ceiling, and then back to the stars. “Forgive me,” the scholar star replied, bowing to the two. “I did not mean to accuse.”

“This is all fascinating,” Martin drawled. “And by fascinating, I mean confusing as hell. If at any point the two of you would like to explain yourselves…”

“Yes, yes,” Eldstar stumbled, nodding quickly. “Please, Sir Martin, please sit down. Mario, Luigi, I again beg your forgiveness. Your story sounded fantastical and we had to make sure, though I know it is not in either of your natures to lie. Let me explain – you see, star children can be identified by a star that appears above their heads and well, this wand was able to bring forth those stars.”

Again, the twins looked at each other, both trying to see what the stars saw, but saw nothing. “I don’t see anything,” the younger mumbled.

“Yes well,” Eldstar began. “That’s because they are hidden from sight. Oh um…hmmm…this may be a long story…”

And so, with the help of Skolar or rather, with the star scholar mostly telling the story, the two began a quick and dirty history of the Star Sprites, the Dark Star, and the star children. As the male trio already knew, the Dark Star had been discovered and was defeated by the Star Sprites; what the three _didn’t_ know however, was that in order to render the Dark Star powerless, the Star Sprites had removed some of the evil being's dark power and kept it bottled up within their sanctuary, what would later become Shooting Star Summit and Star Haven.

This essence, dark and powerful, posed a risk and the longer it sat within Star Haven, the more dangerous it became - it's swirling mass had been said to try and tempt those that came near, forcing the elder Star Sprites to lock the essence away, but it didn't completely solve the problem. What most Mushroom Kingdom history books didn't mention was that this containment had caused a small uprising within the stars themselves, until ultimately the Star Sprites feared it would break out of its prison and take over their home.

It was decided to separate the power into different portions, placing them in nearly created stars, and then hurl them away, but there was a snag in that plan – should anyone find those stars, they could potentially be taken over by that power and then they would have new villains to defeat.

Skolar didn’t know when or who came up with the idea, but the Star Sprites, in their last generational reign, placed the decision to their next of kin, the group that would start to be known as the Star Spirits. With their input and discussion, both groups thought it wise to control where these stars landed, wanting to make sure that only something or someone capable of kindness, generosity, and selflessness could take up this power, the hope that this person or thing could change the dark power into something for good.

And that’s when the answer came to them.

Children.

 _Babies_.

Babies were the most innocent of creature, having no set alliance or preconceived notions at the onset of birth and usually growing to encompass everything that was good in the world. At this time, war was happening within the neighboring kingdoms and the Star Spirits felt it too risky to let the power go off so blindly and in a time where hate and destruction were paramount.

So…they waited.

When the time came, the Mushroom Kingdom – while not at its height of human popularity – still had made peace with some of the surrounding areas, while other places were content to not get involved in petty disputes. The kingdoms were growing and many a wish were coming in from hopeful couples that wanted to start families. And so, the Star Spirits tore apart the dark power that had been taken from the Dark Star and molded seven stars, sending them out into the world to find seven worthy babies. These babies would be easily identified by the stars that hovered above their heads, however knowing the consequence of them falling into the wrong hands, once the seven stars had found their being, they would fade away, only being able to be spotted with a star wand or other deep magical or powerful means.

The two stars, shocked at how they had managed to miss not one or even two, but _four_ star children under their very noses, peppered the trio with what they knew. The accompanying story was devastating to be sure – while the Star Spirits had always assumed the seven stars had gone their separate ways, imparting into seven different babies who were spread across the kingdoms, those hopes had been quickly snuffed by a misstep from one of those star children.

Luigi retold Bowser’s tale - how his magikoopa Kamek had learned about the star children legend and proceeded to devise a way to go back in time when the star children had been born and infused with these stars. He related how Kamek and his minions had then gone about and kidnapped nearly all of the babies from the Mushroom Kingdom and surrounding kingdoms, in their search. This ironically enough, caused the group to lose track of six of those babies – all six had been discovered by the Yoshis and with their help, were able to defeat current Bowser.

Along the way, Bowser would learn that he himself was a star child, along with the two Andolesi brothers, Princess Peach, Donkey Kong, and Wario. It was only later, with a newly hatched Yoshi that the seventh star found its home.

It almost seemed like a very sick joke – not only were all seven star children known to each other, but they routinely got together for various sporting events, the last one taking place not two weeks ago.

When questioned about Luigi’s revelation that there were actually _nine_ star children, Martin took up the narrative, explaining how Mario and Luigi, the adult versions, had gone back in time to stop _another_ villain who was using time travel to change the past and had ultimately teamed up with _baby_ Mario and Luigi, causing what was obviously now some sort of time paradox or alternative timeline, he didn’t know and truly didn’t care.

What he _did_ care about, however, was the fact that this new foe had his younger sons and had made it known that he was looking for the elder ones as well.

“This is most destressing indeed,” Skolar murmured, after all the tales had been told. “We have never encountered anything like this in our history.”

Eldstar had a peculiar look on his face. “Is there anything else you need to tell us?” he asked, quietly.

The three began to shake their heads, however Luigi stopped, remembering something that he did want to know. “Actually,” he timidly said, nothing wanting to anger the star more than they already were. “There is one more thing…”

Once again, Luigi began to tell about his time aboard Mordrios’ ship and how he had taken the liberty and chance to go through some of the records that were within the ship’s database. He mentioned his running across something called the Illumani Star, something Eldstar had never heard of, but Skolar had. The scholar began to fill in what the younger plumber hadn’t been able to discover – that this Illumani Star had been a creation of an ancient culture, predating the very Star Spirits that stood before them.

It's creation and ultimate disappearance were hotly debated by those who studied star history – starologists, as Skolar called them – as there was less documentation on the star, despite it obviously coming in contact with those who lived within their galaxy. As discovered by the younger plumber, the Illumani Star was used as a conduit between two like powers, bridging them together to create an even more powerful object.

The reasons for its banishment couldn’t be proven, but rumors held that the star had been used to fuse people to objects, causing such abject harm to those involved, it was never spoken of in the towns, cities, and kingdoms where the Illumani Star had been seen or used. A few had even tried to destroy it, to adverse results, but again, there were only rumors as to what actually happened.

Ultimately, the texts that spoke about it were clear – the Illumani Star was extremely dangerous and should never be used unless for the complete and utter destruction of the user, the surrounding area, the kingdom and its citizens.

“So what do we do?” asked Martin, his outer calm belaying the inner turmoil he felt after hearing what he had.

“What _can_ you do?” Eldstar whispered, shaking his little body. “I know what you would say, Mario -” the star stated, interrupting whatever speech the plumber was going to make. “And I would rally to it if not for the warning in my heart. What you’ve told us today is distressing, more so than I think we have ever known. It would be one thing if you came to us and asked about the legend of the star children, as we have told you all we know. In fact, you’ve managed to tell us things we were not aware of.

“But the knowledge of the Dark Star is troubling, extremely troubling,” he went on, despondently. “How exactly did the Dark Star escape his prison from under the town?”

Mario and Luigi once again took up the story, telling the stars about their adventure inside the belly of the beast to speak. They told of their previous enemy of Fawful, who had used Bowser to not only swallow up the princess, but the kingdom itself; as Peach was the only one that could open the seal on the Dark Star, Fawful kidnapped her, using her to break the seal before absorbing the Dark Star’s energy. Thankfully, with Bowser’s help, the twins were able to defeat the Dark Star.

Or so they thought.

This new information was clearly distressing to both stars – with the seal broken, who knew where the Dark Star was now, though it did nothing to counter the fact that this new villain not only wanted the Dark Star, but seemed to have all the elements to raise it once more.

The trio had ventured all this way to retrieve information and some help in regards to this threat; what they got was the halfhearted advice that, as star children, they go their separate ways.

 

* * *

 

Every parent wants to know who they child will be once they grow older, but it takes an incredible degree of luck, magic, and weird coincidence to allow a parent to see what they future adult child would be.

Amy had done her best to ensure that she and Martin didn’t interfere with their adult sons. Oh, once they had received the invites for the babies to return for the kingdom’s various sporting events, they knew for a fact that they would run into the adult versions of their twin toddlers; it was the reason they usually didn’t accompany the babies. They had gone to that first kart race, however, wanting to make sure their children would be okay away from their timeline and being worried parents about their first borns.

Only Toadsworth was aware that they had come along, swearing him to secrecy that he wouldn’t tell anyone that they were there. They arrived early, making sure that they wouldn’t run into anyone, signed up the boys and were leaving them in the hands of the retainer when both Mario and Luigi – the older versions – showed up, taking charge of the babies away from the advisor. Thankfully, they hadn’t seen their parents, but Amy and Martin had seen _them_.

She should’ve listened to Martin, who was insistent that they leave before they cause even more damage to the timelines, but she couldn’t help it. How many opportunities did a mother get the chance to see how her sons would grow? This was back before they had learned the strange irony of their older sons coming back to the Mushroom Kingdom and at least an incident before she was scared enough to move their family back to Brooklyn.

Amy wanted to know what these adult versions did, how they interacted, how they would handle their smaller versions, etc. She quickly grabbed her husband’s hand, dragging him through the crowd so they could get a decent seat to watch the races. Fate must have been kind that day, because they ended up sitting next to a young Toad who was so excited about the race and the racers, he wasn’t at all concerned about telling the strange human all he knew in regards to the racers, the tracks, the location, the kingdom, and more.

This particular event was the first time either parent was aware of their sons’ romantic relationships – it was fairly known that Mario and Peach were a couple, though they weren’t nearly as openly affectionate as Luigi and Daisy were. Amy tried her best not to squeal out loud; she hadn’t told Martin, but she did harbor a hope that maybe Mario or Luigi might find themselves more than friends with Peach and it did seem as though her oldest had a bit of a crush on her.

She couldn’t help but ask her new Toad friend about the relationship, when it started, who started it, but either he didn’t know or didn’t care – he was a typical teenaged boy and was more interested in the race than whatever romantic entanglements were happening around him.

Afterwards, she and Martin took their overly excited twins from Toadsworth and headed back to their own time, happy in the notion that their sons seemed happy in their lives. Back in their own timeline, things went on as they should until the day the castle was attacked and Martin was just barely able to save their youngest son from being crushed and the decision was made to leave the Mushroom Kingdom until a time when they felt enough time had gone by to return.

What they probably should have done was leave immediately, instead when the invitation for the babies to come back to the castle came through, the twin toddlers had been so excited about going, she and Martin decided this would be it. Let the boys have this last chance to enjoy themselves and it gave the two the opportunity to see the kingdom in peace. So they went along with the two, landing themselves in the present version of their home and lead the boys out to the little parade kart Toadsworth used to bring the babies to and fro.

And here they were.

After watching her husband and sons disappear into the warp pipe, Amy followed the retainer and the princesses back into the castle, all the while Toadsworth discussing the possibility of this Bowser person attacking while their backs were turned. Amy noted the two princesses looked sidelong at each other, something that seemed to occur frequently when dealing with Toadsworth’s heighten paranoia. Amy couldn’t remember the advisor being so concerned with safety before, however she could understand that many things changed after Dalia’s death.

“I’m sure the girls will be just fine, TW,” Amy said, nodding to the princesses. “Besides, I’m here and I was a much better fighter than Martin was.”

Toadsworth tried to give her a stern look, however she could easily see the teasing affection within his eyes. “I am more than confident that your capabilities will be needed,” he began. “However you don’t know what that Bowser is capable of. You yourself heard the tale of how he went back in time and tried kidnapping your sons. Not to mention his despicable magicians who no doubt eagerly await the day that brute lets them off their leash.”

“Toadsworth!” Amy exclaimed, hand to her heart and a smirk on her lips. “That sounded rather vitriol. How do you _really_ feel?”

“Yes, well…” he huffed, a slight blush rising on his cheeks. Being the rather gentle soul that he was, it took a lot to make the elder Toad as angry as he was becoming just thinking of the lizard king and his minions. “You haven’t encountered the beast as much as we have.”

“Bowser’s harmless, really,” Peach intervened, turning to the brunette. “I do think he lets his anger cloud his judgement more often than not, but when we need him, he is always – reluctantly – available.”

Toadsworth huffed again, obviously disagreeing with his princess’ statement and even Daisy gave her a look that spoke how she felt about this Bowser. “Hey, you kids hungry?” she asked, looking at the two. They had immediately started the day with the others leaving, not having the chance to actually sit down and have breakfast. The two princesses nodded, while Toadsworth gave his belly a small pat, realizing he was getting hungry himself.

“I’ll make breakfast,” she volunteered, heading towards the kitchens.

“Oh!” Peach said, her eyes widening. “You don’t have to do that. You’re my guest!”

“I’m also your day’s protector,” Amy countered. “And I can’t protect on an empty stomach. Besides, I find if I’m doing something constructive, I worry less. I’m sure you can understand that.”

Though Peach felt horrible at making the former guard cook for them, she did make a point; she did worry whenever Mario was out on an adventure, especially when that adventure was usually him trying to rescue her. Bowser wasn’t necessarily cruel at this point, usually putting her a comfortable room until she ‘came to her senses’ and agreed to marry him, thus combing their kingdoms.

She may have been comfortable in her captivity, but it was a lonely existence. Just her and her thoughts, with those thoughts always on the man she loved as he fought his way through enemies and dangers in order to reach her. If he was smart, he would Luigi with him, but even then, she couldn’t help the guilt she felt when, after being reunited, she noticed the cuts, bruises, and other marks that showcased the hardships they had both gone through.

Instead, she found herself nodding before following the guard into the kitchen.

The royal kitchen was a stately room, wooden cabinets with cream marble tops and stainless steel appliances. There was a large kitchen island in the middle of the room, big enough for a small group to have breakfast if they chose. Amy nodded her approval on the updates – she had hated the old stove – and went about to the rummaging around in the refrigerator, while the others took a seat at the island.

“Bacon and eggs okay?” she asked, pulling out the ingredients to get started. Though the castle had changed since she had last been within it, some things were still kept the same and Amy was able to find the pans and spatulas to get started.

“Oh, Amy…” Toadsworth began, causing the woman to turn towards him. “Could you…would you, that is, do that special thing you used to do with the eggs?”

Giggling, Amy began to pull out the spices she knew he wanted. “For you, my darling Toadsworth,” she said, turning to send him a wink. “I will make your special eggs because you obviously love me.”

Again, the elder Toad blushed, but managed to chuckle at the joke.

Amy continued making breakfast, throwing out the occasional comment when needed. The older woman used this time wisely – she knew her husband’s volunteering wasn’t just about accompanying the boys on their quest. Oh, that was the main reason, of course, but they would both be liars if they weren’t going to use the opportunity to learn more about their family, including those who would eventually be a part of it.

Ever since that first kart race, when she learned about her sons’ love interests, she had wanted to meet them and get to know them, like any mother would a potential suitor to her child. To be honest, on the surface, Amy couldn’t help but notice the opposing personalities between her sons and their girlfriends.

Take Daisy, for instance. Even now, her youngest son was extremely shy and to imagine him dating the very overt desert princess was surprising. In fact, Amy couldn’t help but wonder why Daisy wasn’t dating _Mario_ – they had the same personalities, both were outgoing, with deep feelings of loyalty and support for those they cared for. But with that said, Amy had clearly seen why the two _didn’t_ work. They were _too_ much alike, evident by their near explosive argument a few days ago.

Peach, on the other hand, seemed near perfect for Luigi – sweet, polite, caring, and cautious. If Amy remembered correctly, Peach had also been a sweet baby and a little shy with new people, a trait she seemed to have grown out of most likely due to her position as the kingdom’s ruler.

She couldn’t see it yet, but Amy was determined to figure out how these two had won the hearts of her boys.

The rest of the time was spent with Peach and Daisy listening to stories between Toadsworth and Amy, most involving how the fish out of Brooklyn tried to adjust to life in a new world and a new place. Apparently, the young woman had lived in the castle for nearly a year, only leaving when she and Martin had gotten married and moved in to the home they knew now. Their wedding, the first one Amy admitted as her parents had them get married again, hence why they hadn’t been around for the Shroob invasion, had been done in the throne room.

“So you’ll imagine my surprise,” Amy replied, placing down plates full of food in front of the others. “When I see your straight laced advisor here hand over a bag of coins to your mother.”

“What for?” Peach asked, looking at Toadsworth.

“Oh, they were betting on us,” Amy huffed. “Your mother was a closet matchmaker. In fact, didn’t Dalia introduce you and your wife?”

“Queen Dalia did have an eye that many don’t,” the retainer smiled, thinking of that first introduction and the memory of his beloved.

“How much?”

“What’s that, dear?”

“How much did you manage to lose on my wedding day?” Amy asked again, giving him a look that left him squirming.

“A hundred coins,” he admitted.

“A hundred!?” Amy giggled. “Aw, T-dub, I _knew_ you loved me!”

“That must’ve been some bet,” Daisy remarked, giving the retainer an appreciative look.

“What was it that you were betting on?” asked Peach.

“I thought it would those two a lot longer to get together,” Toadsworth admitted. “Not your mother. Dalia was under the impression that once young Ambrosia here returned, it wouldn’t take long before she and Martin would get married. And she was right.”

“Lesson learned, Toadsworth,” the woman snickered. “Women are always right.”

Their conversation ended up turning to Mario and Luigi, though the present trio had to be careful not to say anything that would tip Amy off to any future events. The woman was happy to hear that her sons had done their best to keep up their cooking, even creating new inventions of their childhood favorites with the ingredients they held on hand in the kingdom; Amy couldn’t help but be stunned at how much her sons’ lives in the kingdom seemed to mirror her own.

Native New Yorker finds a mysterious pipe in the home of a client and end up landing in a strange new land. Upon arriving, they ended up saving the ruling heir of the hand, before being granted help and residence while they stayed in the kingdom, hoping for a way home. They even managed to do something they hadn’t done in their own home – find love.

The only difference was that Amy had been able to return to Brooklyn, several times, while Mario and Luigi still hadn’t found any warp pipes that would take them back. Ironically, all because of their parents.

She hadn’t said much about the volatile reaction both boys had in hearing about their past or rather, the past that had been taken away from them. She knew Martin could read her emotions, even when she wasn’t so forth coming with them; in reality, Amy couldn’t help but feel awful at the decision they had made, the decision that they would be making again once this adventure was over. At the time, they had been afraid at retribution coming from the Darkland forces into their real world, Martin had gone out and destroyed all the warp pipes he could find.

They couldn’t have known that nearly 30 years later, they had destroyed the only way for their sons to return home.

At some point, their conversation turned back to the threat of Bowser. In Amy’s timeline, they hadn’t known who was behind the throne of Darkland, but it seemed whoever it was had left Bowser in charge after their passing. Again, Toadsworth and Peach were cautious about saying anything in front of Amy, but the retainer couldn’t get around some of the facts that would highlight the concern he had for the princess.

It was still relatively early in the day when the quartet heard a commotion happening outside in the hall. “What’s going on?” Daisy asked, hearing frightened cries and calls coming from behind the door.

“I don’t know…” Peach whispered, standing from her stool, just as a frightened yellow Toad came bursting through the door.

“Princess!” he cried, eyes wide in terror. “Thank goodness! We weren’t sure where you were!”

“Toadian,” Peach asked, concern filling her face. “What is it? What’s going on?”

“He’s right outside!” Toadian cried, pointing towards the door. “He came flying over and is in the front of the castle!”

“I knew it!” Toadsworth spat, throwing down his napkin and standing as well. Shaking a finger at Amy, he chastised, “I told you he wouldn’t give us a moment’s peace. I hope you’re up to the task because Bowser…”

“It’s not Bowser!”

All four looked at the little Toad. “Not Bowser?” Peach asked, now completely confused. If their visitor wasn’t Bowser, then who could it be?

“Is it another member of the Koopa Troop?” asked Daisy, receiving a shake of Toadian’s head.

“Alright,” Amy replied, also standing but doing what the other hadn’t. She actually began to move, standing from her stool and heading towards the disturbance. “Well I’m all a twitter with anticipation. Let’s go see who’s at the door.”

Walking out the door, it was complete pandemonium within the castle. Toad servants were running back and forth in terror, while the Toad Brigade and the rest of the King’s Guard were trying to calm them all down.

“Princess!”

Toad came running up, joining the quartet that were already heading towards the castle doors. “Toad, what’s happening?” Toadsworth asked, immediately. “Toadian said this is not the same threat we normally face.”

“It’s not Bowser, if that’s what you’re thinking,” the captain replied. “We actually don’t know who he is. We just noticed a few shadows hovering ahead until the ships just came out of nowhere!”

“Ships?” asked Peach, her face growing slightly pale. They were most definitely not equipped to handle a fleet of ships, regardless of who the pilots were. In fact, the only pilot they had was Mario and he wasn’t here.

“We’ve gotten reports that there are three ships just hovering over Toad Town,” Toad continued his report. “And of course there’s the one that’s sitting right outside. I haven’t seen the Bros yet, are they here? I was about to send a Parakarry over to the house.”

“The boys are on another mission at the moment,” Amy replied, her stride taking her closer to the castle entrance. “I’ll be your friendly neighborhood protector today.”

The brigade captain looked at the newcomer in confusion. When did they get substitution protectors and why was he always the last to know about them? “Toad, Amy, Amy, Toad,” Daisy introduced. “Amy’s the Bros’ mom and former King’s Guard member, Toad is the captain of the brigade. Now that we’re caught up…”

Amy was already opening the castle main doors, which would normally allow for the sunlight to enter and shine into the castle’s foyer. However, today’s sight wasn’t that of the green grass that was laid out until one reached the gates that opened to the bridge. Standing at the bottom of the steps was a cloaked being, dressed in black, and with a sleek black airship sitting patiently behind him.

“Ah,” the figure replied, lifting up his head. “The Princess Peach. It is a pleasure to meet your acquaintance. I have read and heard much about you.”

“I’m afraid you have me at a disadvantage, sir,” came the reply. “As I have not the pleasure of _your_ acquaintance.”

“No doubt you’ve heard my name,” the figure continued. “You stand with someone acquainted with my lieutenant, Mathias. And I have something that would interest her and you.”

“We still haven’t heard a name,” Amy said, glaring at the figure.

“My apologies,” he said. “My name is Mordrios. I take it you’ve heard my name before.”

“Several times,” Peach admitted. “If I understand correctly, you’re the person responsible for the recent rash of kidnappings, of both my citizens and those from the surrounding kingdoms.”

“Then you know why I’m here.”

“Actually, I don’t,” Peach lied. There was only one reason why Mordrios was there and that was because he had discovered the identities of the last two star children, however years of dealing with Bowser and other villains had taught her to hold her truths close before revealing them in the open. “I can only guess that you’re here to return what you’ve taken.”

Mordrios gave a slight nod, before the gangway of the ship began to open behind him. Once lowered to the ground, the group heard the babies before they saw them; each was in the arms of a shadowy figure, squirming to get away, especially when they could see the audience before them.

“Mama!”

The cries of her youngest son had Amy making a move, but was stopped by Toadsworth. “Return my sons to me,” she growled. “Now!”

“You are in no position to make demands,” Mordrios stated, sending a glare her way. “But far be it for me to not offer an exchange.”

“What kind of exchange?” asked Peach.

“It’s very simple,” Mordrios replied. “You will bring me the star children and I won’t slaughter the younglings.”

“If you even _look_ at them the wrong way…”

“You wouldn’t dare,” Daisy said. “You’re bluffing. You _need_ the babies.”

Mordrios’ face didn’t change, however he inclined his head towards Daisy. “You humans are quite resilient, aren’t you?” he asked. “The girl’s right; I do need these two. They were unexpected, but I would be remiss if I didn’t take the opportunity I’ve been given. It’s almost unheard of for these types of things to occur in the same family.” Turning to Amy, he asked, “How did you manage it?”

“Come up these steps and I’ll show you that I manage quite well.”

 “Obviously I will not assemble the star children,” Peach stated. “And I assure you that your plans will not succeed. It would be in your best interest to return Baby Mario and Baby Luigi to us and to leave this kingdom.”

“How naïve,” he said. “You leaders who think your words of peace are taken seriously. I had hoped you would see reason.”

“You hoped that I would just back down and allow you to raise a destruction power,” Peach countered. “You were terribly mistaken.”

“No, Princess,” the leader said. “You are mistaken. You will deliver to me the seven star children or I will raze every city, every town, in every kingdom until you see reason.”

Raising a hand in the air, Mordrios stared directly as the princess, his red eyes borrowing into her blue ones. Suddenly, the sounds of explosions and screams were heard in the distance, as wisps of smoke began to rise in the sky. The heavy gates opened, allowing for the sounds to grow louder as the Toad guards came running up to the stairs.

“Princess!” they cried.

“Those ships are destroying Toad Town!”

“Stop!” Peach shouted, her face panicked and full of sorrow. “Stop it please!”

Lowering his hands, the explosions stopped, but the cries and screams still billowed from the town below. “I will give you two days to gather the seven,” Mordrios said, his voice showing no room for argument. If they are not gathered here, I will destroy that town before moving on and destroying every building, every man, every woman, and every child that dare stand in my way.

“Do not attempt to deceive me. I technically only need seven star children to accomplish my goals. Remember that while I hold the younglings. I await your decision and will return in two days’ time.”

Discussion complete, the leader bowed slightly, turning and heading up the gangplank, following his minions. The cries of the babies mingling with those from the attacked town, the shocked murmurs and cries from inside, as well as the sobs that came from the ruler standing on the steps.

 

 


End file.
